


Love Among the Dragons

by LeisurelyPanda



Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alpha Bucky Barnes, Alpha Thor (Marvel), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Bonding, Courting Rituals, Culture Shock, Dragon Thor (Marvel), Dragons, Enthusiastic Consent, Exhibitionism, Gentle Sex, Hand Feeding, King Thor (Marvel), Knotting, Large Cock, M/M, Magic, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mpreg, Omega Peter Parker, Omega Steve Rogers, Oral Sex, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Ritual Sex, Size Difference, Size Kink, Tattoos, Wings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-22
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:55:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 43,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23262067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeisurelyPanda/pseuds/LeisurelyPanda
Summary: Steve has lived a good, if difficult, life. His mother was the apothecary for a town named Red Hook near the edge of the kingdom of Brooklyn. The town doesn't really welcome them, but they live there even so. The townspeople are superstitious, telling stories about the fairies and goblins that probably inhabit the nearby mountain. Steve doesn't pay attention to it. He needs to go up the mountain to hunt and gather healing herbs. The townspeople thought he and his mother were witches, but if it meant they could help heal people when they got sick, it was worth it.His refusal to entertain the thought of marrying an alpha doesn't help. His mother got along his entire life without the help of one, so why should he need one? Besides, none of them are interested in him. They're interested in the novelty of a male omega. Steve has never taken any proposal from such an alpha seriously.When a dragon appears in the kingdom, everything changes. One moment, Steve is trying to escape the town after the dragon flies overhead, the next, the town is offering up their local "witch" because he's a virgin hoping the dragon will spare them.When the dragon takes him, Steve couldn't imagine what would happen next.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Peter Parker, Steve Rogers/Thor
Comments: 143
Kudos: 543





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I blame Cinderellasfella for giving me the idea for this fic. I got an ask for it on tumblr and I loved it so much that I had to write more for it. For all you people who have vague, or maybe even not so vague, dragon fucking fantasies, this is the fic for you! Enjoy!

Steve straightened his back and looked up the mountainside. It would be getting dark soon. He would try to find a couple more herbs and then go down the mountain to return to town. Red Hook was a few days from the norther border and they were wary of the mountains. Mountains were said to be the home of strange creatures, monsters, and wickedness. Steve and his mother were some of the few who dared to venture up the mountain. 

Steve didn’t have much option. He’d found a wooly worm a few days ago. It had been all black, the sign of a bad winter ahead. Nearly all the ones he’d found this year were like that. Last year, the winter had been somewhat mild and there were still people who succumbed to sickness during the cold months. If he and his mother didn’t collect enough herbs, more would die. 

Even at the young age of twelve, Steve had come close to death during a bad winter. It was several years ago, but the memory of lying in bed for weeks stayed with him. His mother tended to him every second she was able and in the end, she had succeeded. Thankfully, there had been no winters such as that since then, but his mother said they could never be too careful. 

The mountain held many more herbs that they could use than their tiny house’s garden in town. It was all his mother could afford. The townspeople, while grateful, were stingy and superstitious. They whispered about his mother being a witch, that she was trafficking with dark gods to practice her craft. Each of them went to the priests in town to be cleansed after her remedies cured them. 

His mother thought they were fools and Steve was inclined to agree. That didn’t make life any less difficult, though. Other children shunned him, their parents quietly shuffled them to the side to keep them away from him. He only had one friend in town: Peter. Peter was bright and curious and full of optimism. Neither of them put stock in the superstitious nature of the other townspeople. If it weren’t for him, Steve would be completely alone. 

Steve turned from the town below him and resumed his trek up the mountain. He could bemoan his lot in life on the walk down the mountain when his task was complete. His stomach rumbled, but he ignored it. The other reason he’d come up was to see if he could hunt some game. Food had been scarce lately, and his mother would probably appreciate having something to eat. 

He ran his thumb along the handle of the bow he wore at his side. It was fairly new and it had not failed him yet. It took some time to learn how to hit a target accurately, a little longer to become comfortable with killing an animal, but he’d done it. If he could shoot some rabbits or a turkey or something, it might last them a few days.

The pouch of herbs was full. If he could find more, that would be good, but what he really needed was game. He kept his eyes and ears sharp. Animals were good at hiding, especially prey. 

He heard a rustling nearby and he drew his bow. He crouched low to the ground and moved silently. His attention narrowed. He took shelter beneath a bush as he took in the scene. There was a fox and a strange red creature that looked like a lizard fighting over the carcass of a pheasant. The lizard was far smaller and the fox clearly had the upper hand. 

If Steve were smart, he would dash in and snatch the pheasant up while they were occupied. If he were smarter, he would wait for the fox to kill the lizard, then kill the fox so that he could make something with the hide. It would be a cold winter, after all. 

However, Steve, though smart, had a kind heart. His mother often said as much. He nocked an arrow on the drawstring and pulled back. It took only a second to aim before he released the arrow. It struck home in the fox’s chest and the creature yelped as it fell to the ground. The lizard looked startled, if that was possible. Steve rose from the bush and approached cautiously. The lizard hissed and flared some appendages on its back. 

Steve stopped and put his bow on the ground before raising his hands. The lizard settled a moment later. Steve extended one hand with the palm extended. People said that an omega’s scent could calm wild animals. Every now and then there was a story of an omega who encountered a wild animal or monster that was placated by their scent. Steve thought them nothing more than old wives tales, but testing it out on a strange lizard seemed mostly harmless. 

Remarkably, the lizard seemed to settle after it scented Steve’s hand. Then it dashed, got the pheasant and carried it off. Steve chuckled to himself as he collected the arrow and the fox. He put the fox in an empty sack. A glance to the sky told him it was too late to remain out much longer. He shrugged and started down the mountain. With any luck, he would find something on the way down.

* * *

Two years later… 

Steve made his way through the town. It was springtime and the weather was finally beginning to warm. The past few winters had been hard. Crops across Brooklyn were struggling and there was talk of a famine if things didn’t improve soon. The king had arranged for food to be imported. Life had been lean for a few years. 

Steve was just glad that he was starting to show signs of his presenting in the spring rather than the winter. His mother was an omega, the same as he, and she had told him what to watch for. He was starting to experience the symptoms. He was feeling hot and a little irritable. There were cramps and of course, the dampness along his ass. It was hardly pleasant, but life didn’t get suspended just because he was about to present. 

If he were an alpha, he would be paraded through town and pitted against the other alphas who were presenting to determine who was the strongest. It was an absurd tradition, but that was the privilege of being an alpha. They were permitted to be anything and do anything. Omegas were expected to stay at home and depend on alphas. Even his mother, who was a widow, was seen as an oddity for living alone and making her own way in the world. 

As an omega, though, there was no real tradition celebrating his presentation. Omegas were shut away until their first heat was concluded and then shoved into the world as though nothing had changed. It was hardly right, but he couldn’t change anything about it. He walked into the grocer’s store to collect supplies in preparation. 

“Morning, young Mr. Rogers,” the grocer said as he walked inside. He was Peter’s uncle, and a warm, kind man. “How are you this fine day?”

“Fine, Mr. Parker,” Steve said. “Just need to pick up some supplies.” 

“Yes, your mother mentioned the other day,” Parker said. “Congratulations, my boy. Are you excited?”

“I’m excited to see it done, to be honest,” Steve replied. “I’m not enjoying the experience leading up to it really.” 

“I’ve heard that from a few people, I’ll say that,” Parker said. “Your mother placed an order for you yesterday. All your favorites, son.” 

“Goodness, what do I owe you?” Steve asked. He was already doing calculations in his head to see if he could afford it all. His mother hadn’t given him that much money to buy the groceries. How would he pay for them?

“Not a penny,” Parker said. “I told her it was on me. You only present once and whether you’re an alpha or an omega, it’s a hard time. Omegas might not be fighting in sand pits, but they’ve got their own troubles to contend with.” 

“I can’t accept this,” Steve protested. 

“You don’t have to,” Parker said. “Your mother’s accepted it for you and my nephew, Peter, has already left to take the food to your house.”

Steve stood there, flabbergasted by what Mr. Parker said. His mouth opened and shut like a goldfish in one of Lord Rumlow’s ponds. Steve was unsure what to do. He wasn’t at all used to receiving things from people, least of all for special occasions. 

“So why did my mother send me here?” he asked. 

“Can’t rightly answer that question, but I know that she knew you wouldn’t like it,” Parker said. “I can’t say that I don’t understand, either, but it’s important to learn to accept kindness from others.” 

“The rest of the town doesn’t seem that charitable,” Steve replied. 

He made himself settle down. There wasn’t much to be done about it now, but it was a point of contention that the entire town relied on his mother for remedies, then look the other way as soon as they were healthy. They would go to the temple in the middle of town to receive a blessing as soon as they were healthy enough to do so. Despite the fact that all she did was mix herbs together to make medicine, there were some who didn’t know the difference between that and witchcraft. 

In Steve’s opinion, if it took a little magic to make the herbs work, that was a small price to pay to help people, even if they were fools. His mother had never denied being a witch when he asked, but he didn’t see a problem with it. He’d never seen her do magic, but that didn’t mean she hadn’t. If she did use it, he would be interested in learning. 

“Can’t do anything about the rest of the town, son, you know that,” Parker said. “People will be foolish and there’s no fixing that. They won’t know what good they have until it’s gone and that’s how it’s always been.” 

“That’s true,” Steve said. “I just wish that I could make them see differently.” 

“Maybe you will, eventually,” Parker said. “But it probably won’t happen in time for your heat.” 

Steve sighed and nodded. “Thank you, Mr. Parker.” 

“Any time, my boy,” Parker said. He tossed a package towards Steve. Steve opened the string and peered inside. There were several cubes of some kind of brown substance that smelled sweet. “Take those, they might help during your heat.” 

“Chocolate?” Steve asked. “Where—how on earth did you get ahold of these?” 

“Oh, I have my sources,” Parker said with a sly wink. “Now run along. There’s no telling when it’ll hit and you’d best be home when it does.” 

Steve left before he could think better. He clutched the chocolates fiercely in his hand as he walked as quickly as he could. The last thing he needed was for someone to smell the chocolate and try to take it from him. He found that people were all too eager to tell him what he didn’t deserve. Years ago, after he killed a fox, someone tried to take the hat and mittens he’d managed to have made for him. Peter and an adult managed to fight them off, but it made Steve more protective of his possessions. 

As soon as he reached his home, he sighed and opened the package. He moaned softly as he popped one of the cubes of delicious, sweet chocolate in his mouth. It was the single best thing he had ever tasted. He felt better immediately. The chocolate was like a magical substance that made someone instantly happy. 

His mother emerged from the kitchen. She smiled at him and he walked over to hug her. This pre-heat nonsense was making him clingy. He spent more and more time with her, scenting her, and taking comfort in her presence. She said it was natural, that omegas often took comfort in their family members during times of great change. It was instinct. 

“How are you feeling, dear?” she asked. Steve whined as his stomach cramped. It was hell itself, but he was expected to carry on as normal while he was going through them. Personally, he wanted to just kick them all into the gutter so they’d leave him alone, but apparently that was frowned upon. 

“I hate cramps,” he groaned. 

“Everyone does. They’ll pass, but they’ll never pass as soon as you would like,” she said. 

“You always know how to put my mind at ease, mother,” he said. “Mr. Parker told me about what you did.” 

“What I did was arrange for my omega son to be well prepared for his first heat,” she replied. “He was the one who said it was free and I didn’t argue.” 

Steve sighed. “I know. Thank you, mother,” he said. He smelled scents wafting through the house. He smelled could smell the beginnings of dinner and smiled. “What’s for dinner?” 

“I’m making chicken soup,” she said. 

“Where on earth did you get chicken?” Steve asked. 

“From Mr. Parker, of course,” she replied. “Don’t tell anyone, you hear? Mr. Parker doesn’t need anyone to think that he’s giving away free food.” 

“You don’t need to tell me that,” Steve said. She smiled and patted his face gently. 

“You go relax, your heat will start soon,” she said. “And savor those chocolates. The heat will likely last a few days and if you eat them all now, you’ll be that much more miserable later.” 

“Yes, mother,” Steve replied. He went over to the living room and sat down on the old couch. He had another cramp and whined as he popped another piece of fudge in his mouth. He could not wait for those to go away. 

He had no idea what to expect from this heat. People talked about it, usually in hushed voices. The most common response to the question of what to expect was “You’ll see.” Even his mother, who gave more details than anyone else, told him simply that she couldn’t tell him exactly what to expect. 

In the back of his mind, he wondered about the lizard he saw once. He hadn’t seen it again days later or any time since then. Sometimes, Steve wondered if it was a dream. But then he would see the fox fur gloves and hat that he gained from that encounter and he knew it wasn’t a dream. 

In all likelihood, the lizard died that winter. It was a bad year, after all, and this region was hardly kind to lizards. Still, Steve sometimes wondered.

* * *

Ten years later…

The house was empty. It had been that way for nearly three years now. It still didn’t feel right. His mother had died and sometimes, he still didn’t know what to do. Steve’s only friend in town was still Peter, only now each of them had lost family. Steve took over for his mother as the apothecary and Peter as the grocer. 

They didn’t see each other as often now, but they had an arrangement for their heats. When Peter’s approached, Steve would brew a potion to help with the symptoms. When Steve’s approached, he would have a parcel of supplies delivered to his door the day before it was scheduled to hit. Both of them were the only single male omegas in the town, and despite that, there were still no shortage of alphas who expressed their interest. 

Steve didn’t know any of these people from another. All he knew was that an alpha assumed that, because they were alphas, that they would be interested in him. He had yet to accept any offers at all. He hadn’t even agreed to be courted. They had offered all kinds of things from food to money to trinkets and flowers. Steve hadn’t accepted any of it. Half of them thought these baubles were sufficient pay for his medicines. 

Rumors were circulating now, the same ones about his mother. They said he was a witch. There was no point in trying to defend himself. People who spread such rumors never named themselves. It didn’t even matter that the only thing he’d learned from his mother, aside from how to make medicine, was to honor and have respect for the earth the life that dwelled in it. If people called it witchcraft to say prayers of gratitude over his food and his medicines, that was their business and there was nothing he could do about it. 

It wasn’t as though the gods that the people worshipped in the town’s temple ever made them more generous. Neither he nor Peter ever went to the temple, but they were kinder and more compassionate than most in the town. Maybe things would be different in the capital, but neither of them had the money to move and Peter’s job as a grocer would hardly matter in a city that large. 

Steve moved through the old house as he stewed in his thoughts. Ever since his mother died, he wasn’t really sure what to do in their home. She had no other family, which meant he had no other family. Peter had his aunt, but that was it. Sometimes, Steve wondered if he should ask them to move in. 

Just as he sat down, there was a knock at the door. It sounded frantic. Steve got up and moved there immediately. No matter what anyone said about him, he would help people who needed it. That meant that he had to get up at all hours of the day or night, if necessary. He opened the door and found Peter standing there looking terrified. 

“Peter, what’s wrong?” Steve asked. 

“You haven’t heard? Everyone’s talking about it,” he said. 

“Talking about what?” Steve asked. 

“Well, see, the thing is… there’s a… dragon,” Peter said. Steve blinked and his eyes widened. 

“Where? Is anyone injured?” he asked. 

“No, not here, not nearby,” Peter said. “It arrived at the capital. The king sent out a whole army of knights, but the dragon just burnt them to cinders.” 

“What?” Steve asked. 

“Apparently, it’s been moving through the country,” Peter said. “It’s been going on for months.” 

“Why are we just now hearing about it?” Steve asked. “If there’s a dragon, we need defenses.” 

“Apparently all the merchants in the capital were too scared to leave,” Peter said. “Most everyone else, too. And you know how long it takes news to reach us here. We live in the middle of nowhere.” 

“So there’s no way of knowing where the dragon is?” Steve asked. 

“Right,” Peter said. “Look, I know this is sudden, but… do you think Aunt May and I could stay here with you? If we need to leave, it’s better if we’re all together for it” 

“Of course, this house is bigger, there’s plenty of room,” Steve replied. “I’ll go up and make sure that everything is settled. You two come on over as soon as you’re ready.” 

“Might take a couple days,” Peter said. “But thank you, Steve.” 

“Don’t worry about it. We gotta stick up for each other, right?” Steve replied with a smile. 

“You bet,” Peter replied.

* * *

Two months passed. There was neither hide nor hair of the dragon and news about it seemed just as scarce. Trade dried up completely, but it was a good thing that the crops were doing well. All they had to do was hold out until the harvest and they would be set for the winter. 

Unless the dragon showed up. 

People went about their business. Peter sold food to the townspeople. Steve sold medicine. Peter’s aunt May plied her weaving in the market when it was done. Life went on. Steve heard people talking about babies that were expected, weddings being planned. The harvest festival was going to be held just as it was every year. 

Unless the dragon showed up. 

Religious fervor was up. Priests preached in the square about the importance of praying to the gods for deliverance from this trial. They insisted that this was a test from the gods regarding their faith. Some people listened and planned pilgrimages. People went to the temple more and more and Steve’s business actually began to dry up. People seemed to think that coming to him for healing was a sin of some sort. 

Steve and Peter began making tentative plans to flee in the event the dragon did appear. If they stayed, the town might burn down before they got the chance to escape. The timing would be tricky, though. If they left too soon, they would be easy pickings for the dragon. If they waited too long, they might not get out. 

Thankfully, the house was near the edge of town, so if they did need to leave quickly, it would be simple enough to do so. They just had to make it to the gate and they would be free to leave. They didn’t have money for horses and trade had failed to pick up since the dragon arrived in the country, so there were no caravans. They would be alone and on foot. Luckily, Steve still had his old bow and it was still in fine working order, as were his skills as a tracker and a hunter. Peter even proved to be an adept student. 

Unfortunately, the day did arrive that they saw the foreboding sight of a dragon high in the air among the clouds. People immediately began scurrying about in the streets and Steve was among them. He rushed to Peter’s store. 

“We need to leave, now!” Steve said. Peter just nodded and they began packing food and supplies from the shelves. They threw caution to the winds as they packed dried foods and jerky into their packs. Then they rushed home, where May was already waiting for them. 

“It’s no use,” she said. “The gates are closed.” 

“What?!” Steve and Peter exclaimed. 

“Lord Rumlow isn’t letting anyone out of the town,” May replied. “The guards are keeping the gates firmly closed.” 

“There’s a gods damned dragon in the sky and he’s flexing his authority now?!” Steve growled. 

“You know as much as I do, but the only thing we can do is sit here and wait for some sort of explanation,” she said. “Perhaps he has a plan.” 

“Plan or not, it wouldn’t make sense to keep innocents in a walled town like this,” Peter said. “If the dragon attacks, there’s no way to escape.” 

They were all silent for a moment. Steve sighed and set his pack down on the kitchen table. He went to his work room and started collecting herbs. Travel would be perilous, and herbs couldn’t be mixed as easily as food. He kept each of them in glass jars and he packed them away gently into a basket designed for easy mobile storage. If they had to stay here, he might as well take the time to set everything up. 

Thankfully, the only materials he was low on were those used for birthing. He didn’t anticipate having to do that on the road. 

Later that evening, the three of them were eating a simple dinner when there was a loud knocking on the door. Steve rose and answered the door. He looked out at half a dozen armed guards in full armor. 

“Mr. Rogers, you are to come with us by order of Lord Rumlow,” the head guard said. “Follow us.” 

“What’s this about?” Steve demanded. 

“The lord has a plan to deal with the dragon menace,” the guard said. “It involves you.” 

“How on earth could I possibly help with a dragon?” Steve demanded. “Look at me! I’m a scrawny apothecary! What does he want me to do? Give the dragon some herbs for irritable bowels?” 

“We are authorized to use force if necessary,” the guard replied as he held up a cudgel. “Please just come quietly.” 

“You can go to Rumlow and tell him that he can shove his plan right up his—”

“Steve!” May said. Steve groaned and snapped his mouth shut. 

“Fine, I’ll come,” Steve said. “But if this is a waste of time, I’m leaving. I need to speak to my companions for a moment.” 

The guard said nothing. Steve turned to Peter and May. They were clearly worried. To be honest, Steve’s heart was pounding and his throat felt tight, but he forced himself to breathe. 

“If something goes wrong,” Steve whispered. He reached into his pocket and produced a key. “Take this and hide in the basement. There’s a path behind the shelf at the far wall that will lead you beyond the walls. Take my bow and arrows.” 

“What about your medicines?” Peter asked. 

“You don’t know what they do,” Steve said. “They could make you sick if you take the wrong doses, if you’re lucky. Leave them.” 

“We won’t leave without you,” Peter said. 

“You might have to,” Steve said. He hugged and scented his friend. “I hope to see you soon.” 

Peter sobbed, but said nothing. May hugged them both as well and gently pried Peter off Steve as he pulled away. 

“If I’m not back by midnight, leave,” he whispered. He turned to leave and walked out the door. 

“Took long enough,” the guard muttered. Steve didn’t rise to the bait. “Can’t imagine what the lord wants with a witch like you, but I suppose it’s not up to me.” 

Steve gritted his teeth and followed them. The streets were mostly quiet now. Too quiet. It was unnerving. Not even the sound of the dragon’s wings could be heard above them, though the wind that blew through the town might seem to a more fanciful mind to be from the dragon’s wings. 

The walk to the hill at the center of town was a long one. Steve had only made it a few times. The wealthy families of the city, or at least the ones who were the least poor, tended not to call on him very often. Rumlow was only technically a lord, and a poor one at that. The local land wasn’t nearly wealthy enough to afford him many comforts of his position, but he insisted on acting like a lord nonetheless. 

The house was the largest in town and the gates outside it seemed to emphasize that fact. No one spoke as the guards opened it and marched Steve inside. Much to Steve’s surprise, Rumlow was waiting for him when he arrived. 

“Ah, it’s you,” he said. The smile he made seemed savage. “Welcome to my home.” 

“I’d say I’m glad to be here, but I don’t actually know why you’ve brought me here,” Steve said. 

“The dragon, of course. That’s all anyone talks about these days,” Rumlow replied. 

“Yes, but I’m not sure how I’m going to be able to help,” Steve drawled. “I make medicine.” 

“Oh, it’s not really about what you can _do_ ,” Rumlow said. “It’s what you are that we care about.” 

“And that would be?” Steve asked. 

“A virgin omega,” Rumlow said. Steve blinked, then his mouth fell open as he shouted in disgust. 

“You actually believe the old wives tales?!” he demanded. “That offering a virgin omega to a dragon will spare the surrounding countryside?”

“It’s really the best option we have at the moment,” Rumlow said. “If the dragon takes you, then the rest of us will be spared. Isn’t that what you do? Help people?” 

“I _heal_ people!” Steve cried. 

“Well, not anymore,” Rumlow said. “Now you’re a hero, and the world will be rid of one loudmouthed omega witch.” 

Rumlow sneered down at him. Years ago, Steve had been “courted” by this man. The noble lord who thought that having a male omega as his spouse would be a fascinating novelty. Steve had laughed in his face as he turned the lord down flat. Ever since then, he’d had an enemy in Brock Rumlow. It wasn’t terribly surprising. His father had it in for Steve’s mother, so in a way, it was a family feud going back generations. The only problem was that Steve’s family was dirt poor and Rumlow’s was the richest in town. 

“So that’s how it is, is it?” Steve asked. He spat in Rumlow’s face. The last thing he wanted was to go along with this insanity willingly. No sooner had the action been done than a sharp pain shot through his head. He blacked out.

* * *

Steve awoke in the dungeons. He was chained to the wall, which might have seemed like overkill if it weren’t for the pounding pain in his skull. He reached up to check his head and was relieved when he found he wasn’t bleeding. It was a day for small mercies. 

It would likely be the last day he ever saw. 

The thought seemed strange. He tried to get out of the manacles, but they wouldn’t budge. He couldn’t reach the door, he couldn’t even reach the crust of bread and bowl of water that someone had dropped into his cell at some point. 

His mother once told him she saw a long, glorious future ahead of him. How wrong she was. His future was as bleak as ever. He would be fed to a dragon and then the town would likely be burnt to cinders and the countryside set ablaze for good measure. 

The waiting was excruciating. It seemed to take forever for someone to show up. Steve fell asleep again and when he woke up, his head felt mildly better. However, the awakening was ruder than before, with the jail door bursting open to reveal Rumlow outside it. 

“I would offer you something to make your last day somewhat better,” he said. “But the stories say the dragons only take virgins.” 

“So no last meal, then?” Steve replied. He sounded calmer than he felt. His hands were shaking and so were his legs as the guard hoisted him to his feet. He didn’t even have the dignity of walking out of the jail cell. His captors carried him in chains all the way from Rumlow’s cells to the courtyard in front of the house. 

“I thought we could make this public,” Rumlow said. “Make the offering at the gates to the town.” 

_A spectacle, then_ , Steve thought. Showing the people of the town that the witch would be sacrificed to the dragon and the town spared. It would certainly be a popular decision among the religious sector of the city. He only hoped that Peter and May got out in time. 

The guards marched him through the town. The people shouted and threw stuff at him from rotten cabbages and tomatoes to less savory things. By some luck, he didn’t see Peter or May, but he recognized a great many of the people among the crowd. He had healed many of them, saved lives, and this was how they treated him?

He hated that he felt pity for them more than anything. Even on his death march, he still wished them well and that, by some miracle, this might actually spare the town from the destruction that was almost sure to follow. 

By the time he arrived at the city gates, he was covered in filth. A more pathetic sacrifice, he could not imagine. Not even a dragon could be tempted by him now. Regardless, the guards waved a flag as the dragon flew overhead. Steve gaped and his blood went cold as the dragon began to descend. The shape grew larger… and larger… and larger… and larger still. 

_Good gods_ , Steve thought.

The dragon was easily 100 feet from head to tail, probably more. It was a magnificent being, with glimmering crimson scales and black swirls that seemed to dance as it flew. It was a creature to inspire legends, and no mistake. The dragon landed in front of the gate and regarded the guards and lord before him. 

“Why have you summoned me?” he asked. It was a deep, rumbling voice. Rumlow was shaking. The dragon’s blue eyes were narrowed to a slit, like a cat or a viper. 

“G-Great d-dragon,” Rumlow stammered. “W-We have s-seen y-your m-mighty—”

“Get on with it,” the dragon growled. Rumlow yelped. 

“We’ve come to make you an offer!” he cried. “This—him, this omega. He’s a virgin and the finest we have in the town! Please, take him and do as you wish, but spare us, I beg you!” 

“You offer up another of your kind out of fear,” the dragon growled. “How droll.”

The dragon turned to Steve and sniffed him. Steve stood his ground. His head was pounding, his feet ached, his body hurt from having things thrown at him. It was the most undignified way to die as he could imagine. When the dragon breathed out, however, Steve found his aches and pains ease away. Instead, he felt warmth and strength in his limbs. He met the dragon’s gaze unflinchingly. 

“This one has more bravery than your entire country put together,” the dragon said. “I will take him.” 

Before Steve could ask what that meant, the dragon stood up on his haunches and reached out. He grasped Steve in his massive paw with surprising gentleness. Steve looked between him and the guards, now so far beneath him on the ground. 

“W-Will you leave us b-be, then?” Rumlow asked. 

“As agreed, I will spare the town, though I was never looking to destroy it,” the dragon said. He turned to Steve. “Hold on, little one.” 

“What do you meAAAAAAGGHHHH!!!” Steve screamed as the dragon leapt into the air and began to fly away. He clung to the dragon’s claw for dear life. The dragon still held him gently, but now Steve was staring down at the earth below him. He didn’t even have time to worry about what the dragon meant by taking him. He was more concerned about not falling to his death. 

He almost would have rather been eaten than to have that happen.

* * *

The dragon flew for what seemed like hours. Steve watched as the earth raced by below him. They passed over forests and fields and towns. Steve wondered what they must think, seeing a dragon pass over them like this. 

The dragon said nothing. The entire flight was silent aside from the roaring of the wind in Steve’s ears. If not for the dragon’s warmth, he would be freezing right now. 

Eventually, they flew into the northern mountain ranges. It would have beggared belief to think that such a journey that should take days, probably weeks, could be done in a few hours. The northern mountains were forbidden. It was said that strange creatures lay beyond. Dragons, possibly, but also other creatures, such as fae, goblins, and elves. The mountains were a realm of danger and magic and people of good faith stayed well away from them. 

The dragon flew right into the mountain range. The mountains were beautiful. They were still covered in snow, which Steve hadn’t thought possible at the tail end of summer. He watched as peak after peak flew past until the dragon started to descend. Beneath them was a massive cavern. The dragon flapped its mighty wings as it descended slowly. 

The interior was not at all what Steve was expecting. The cavern was warm and well furnished. Furs lay strewn across the floor and large, plush couches and other furnishings were arranged carefully around the enormous room. There were torches on every pillar and the air smelled like exotic spices. Steve recognized jasmine and ginger from the odd merchant who had made it to his town. 

The town he used to live in, anyway. 

The dragon set him down gently on a pile of furs. Then Steve watched in amazement as the dragon began to glow. The enormous form shrank into something much smaller, but still much bigger than Steve. What stood before him at the end of the process was definitely human. A very large, muscular, _naked_ , male human. His body was covered in glittering red and black tattoos, from his chest, to his arms, to his legs. They were beautiful… both aesthetically and… well… in other ways. 

The only thing that marked him as definitely _not_ human were the wings. They were large and imposing, the same shade of red as the markings on his body. Despite the fact that he was in a form similar to that of a human, he still looked like he could take flight with ease.

He also smelled like an alpha. It was the most potent scent Steve had ever smelled. It wafted through the air like an aura of power. The human-dragon smelled like fire, of course, but also something sharp and warm that Steve couldn’t identify. He liked the scent a lot, but that was really secondary to the fact that the man was walking towards him. 

“Well met, little one,” the man—dragon—said. “I apologize for the nature of our reunion.” 

Steve blinked. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately. 

“Do I… know you?” Steve asked. 

“Of course,” the dragon said with a smile. His teeth were all sharp, like fangs. How that seemed attractive, Steve had no idea. “You saved me from a fox when I was but a starving babe.” 

Steve’s eyes went wide with shock. He gaped at the dragon. 

“That was you?!” he cried. “How?!” 

“Dragons grow quickly when magic and food are plentiful,” the dragon replied with a shrug. He stopped just in front of Steve and knelt before him with a hand on his chest. “I have been searching for you.” 

“Why?” Steve asked. 

“Your scent has remained with me night and day these past twelve years,” the dragon replied. “I have bided my time until I could return to you.” 

“But why me?” Steve asked. “And why did you cause so much destruction? Did you think that would please me?” 

“Hardly,” the dragon sighed. “I did nothing that was not in self-defense. I approached the first town I found to ask for assistance in finding you, but they panicked and refused to listen. I let them be. The only time I ever caused destruction was when the capital city fired their siege weapons at me I burned the ramparts and the weapons and departed shortly after. The foolish knights who pursued me preferred the prospect of become famous heroes to helping a dragon find the man he loves.” 

Steve’s mind reeled. He had never fainted once in his life, but he might. Everything this dragon said seemed implausible… but also like he was telling the truth. 

“The man you love?” Steve asked. 

“Yes, little one,” the dragon replied. “I am Thor, the King of Dragon-kind, and I have searched these many months to find you. I will pledge my eternal love, service, and devotion to you, my sweet, if you will have me.” 

Steve nearly fainted right then and there. He couldn’t deny the attraction he felt for the dragon, Thor. Even as a human, he seemed a small giant, all bulging muscle and towering at least 6 and a half feet high. While he had been proposed to many times, not one alpha had ever declared to love him, at least, none that seemed sincere or who seemed to know what love even was. Thor was different in that way, too. 

“I didn’t know the dragons had a king,” Steve replied lamely. 

“We do, and I am he,” Thor said. “I would have you be my queen, if you consent.” 

“And if I don’t?” Steve asked. 

“Then, with sorrow in my heart, I will return you to your home,” Thor said. “Or you may remain here and find another you deem worthy of your affections, or you may name the place, and I will take you there with treasures to assure your ease and comfort and never return. You are free to do as you wish.” 

Steve considered this for a moment. His home had forcibly turned him over, expecting him to be eaten, at best. The throngs in the town were clearly pleased to see him go, despite all he had done for them. His only friends in the town were long gone, hopefully, though in retrospect, bringing them along might have been a better alternative. A dragon, and a king at that, had emerged as a suitor for his hand, who also happened to be the strange creature Steve had saved as a boy. It was a strange turn of events, to be sure. 

He looked around the cavern. It was a warm place, filled with soft, comfortable things. Thor might not be a human, but the cavern clearly seemed designed with the comfort of a human omega in mind. The air was pleasantly scented, too. It wasn’t at all like what he expected a dragon’s den to look like. Human kings and lords lived with fewer splendors than Thor. Still, that wasn’t a reason to accept such an offer. 

“May I have time to consider?” Steve asked. 

“Indeed you may,” Thor said. “Take as much time as you require. I only have one thing to ask.” 

“Yes?” Steve asked. 

“May I court you, in the way humans court a mate?” Thor asked. His grin was a mix between feral and charming that made Steve’s knees feel weak. “I suspect that you would find the way dragons court a mate to be less appealing.” 

Steve smiled. _The first time an alpha has ever asked permission to court me_ , he thought. _Will wonders never cease?_

“I think I would like that,” Steve said. Thor’s smile grew wider and this close, Steve could see that they were indeed sharp and gleaming, just a dragon’s would be. The look made him appear wild, but Steve found that exciting rather than frightening. Thor also looked excited, and that look made Steve shiver with anticipation. 

“Thank you, little one,” Thor said. He bent to press a kiss to Steve’s hand and despite the chaste gesture, Steve felt his whole body become very warm very quickly. Thor made a sound that was similar to the purring that human alphas made, but deeper. It definitely sounded like a beast. Steve shivered again. “I promise you will enjoy your stay among my people.” 

“Well, to be honest, I think the first thing I would like to enjoy would be a bath,” Steve said. 

“Why is that?” Thor asked. 

“Because the town threw filth at me as I was paraded to the gates,” Steve said. “I was… not popular among them.”

“What did you do to anger them?” Thor asked. 

“My mother and I dared to live independently,” Steve said. Thor stared at him, but when Steve did not elaborate, he made a sound that was _most definitely_ a growl. It was a deep, savage sound. 

“I could return and burn it down, if you would like,” Thor offered. 

“Please don’t,” Steve said. “They may not have been kind to me, but I was their healer for years.” 

“You are far more gracious than they deserve, but I will respect your wishes, my sweet,” Thor said. “Would you like to be carried to the baths, or would you rather walk?” 

“I would like to walk,” Steve said. Thor helped him to his feet regardless. “Though, if you’re willing to go out, I do have two friends in the countryside where the town was who might be happier here. Peter and May.” 

“I will have someone collect them, if they consent to come here,” Thor said. 

“You didn’t ask for my consent when you took me,” Steve said. 

“I took what I was offered,” Thor replied. “Besides, I was looking for you. Would you have the king of dragons profess his love before a town of people who reviled you?” 

“Fair point,” Steve said with a smile. Without further ado, Thor guided him out of the cavern. Steve’s body was thrumming with excitement and anticipation… and a small amount of fear. Perhaps this was what an adventure felt like.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos give me life, y'all!
> 
> Come follow me on [tumblr](https://leisurelypanda.tumblr.com/) for various fandom related nonsense! <3


	2. Chapter 2

The caverns were far more extensive than Steve had first imagined. There was intelligence in the design, too. The walls were spacious, rounded, and smooth to accommodate the dragon’s massive forms. That was assuming they were all of comparable size to Thor. Steve shuddered to even think what it would be like for dragons if they disliked close quarters. 

The most remarkable thing about the caverns was how warm they were. Steve expected the stone floors to be cold and icy. He wasn’t in his bare feet or anything, but Thor was. In fact, Thor seemed completely comfortable walking through the halls completely nude. Steve tried his best not to stare, but it was hard. His back was as appealing as his front. From this angle, Steve could better admire… various qualities. Such as the wings. 

The wings were large and bat-like. The same black swirls that wove through the red tattooed on Thor’s body were on the wings. It added something of a magical quality to the wings, which only made sense, considering who and what he was. Sometimes, they seemed to move of their own volition as Thor moved. It was almost mesmerizing to watch. 

The next surprising thing was that they didn’t actually encounter anyone else as they were walking to the baths. The caverns were entirely empty aside from the two of them, and there was no sign of anyone else in the caves. Perhaps this was a private residence. Perhaps there were larger caverns where more dragons lived, or perhaps they lived farther underground. 

Whatever the case, it seemed that much of what he’d heard about dragons was wrong. They weren’t beasts, for one thing. They were intelligent and far stronger than humans believed them to be. And… Thor, at least, was beautiful. He was more beautiful than anything Steve had seen in his life. 

The words Thor said earlier were still ringing in Steve’s ears. He was… in love with him because Steve saved him from starvation. He wanted to court Steve and devote himself to Steve. If the alphas from Red Hook had been half as sincere and eloquent as Thor, Steve might have actually considered their proposals. Briefly. Hearing Thor’s profession of love would actually give him much higher standards if he did decide to turn down Thor’s proposal. 

What would that even be like? To accept an alpha’s proposal? Thor was certainly different, but Steve had never even agreed to seriously consider a proposal in his life. There was a part of him that was already planning to reject Thor, just out of habit. To bind himself to another person, an alpha, was never something he had considered. None of the people at home met his standards… whatever they were. 

Thor turned and walked down another empty corridor. The question became more than Steve could handle. 

“Where is everyone?” Steve asked. “There are other dragons, aren’t there?” 

“Of course,” Thor replied. “This particular mountain and its caverns are the home of my family and our retainers, however. There are fewer dragons around than usual.” 

“How many dragons are there?” Steve asked. “You’re the only one I’ve ever even heard of. Before you, no one had even seen a dragon before.” 

“There are many thousands of dragons,” Thor said. “We are, in fact, much less rare than humans believe.” 

“Then why do we never see you?” Steve asked. 

“Some centuries ago, your human lands became embroiled in a war,” Thor replied. “Some of them, including your own nation of Brooklyn, beseeched the other races to assist them. There was a split among us. The Fae and the Elves were in favor of avoiding the war. The Goblins and Dwarves favored getting involved. The Dragon-King of the time, my father, voted not to become involved. The other races complied.” 

“I’ve never heard of that war,” Steve said. 

“I am not surprised,” Thor said. “Your people are the most short-lived of all the races. Your memories are shorter than most.” 

“You say that as though it’s a bad thing,” Steve said. 

“It is, at times,” Thor said. “However, many in the long-lived and immortal races have a tendency to hold grudges due to their long memories. I think there is value in both.” 

“I’ve known humans who were the same way, to be honest,” Steve said. “I can see where you’re coming from.” 

“Regardless, the other sentient races have assumed a policy of isolation from humans since the war,” Thor said. "And humans have not sought us out since then, either."

"Most of us consider stories about dragons and elves and whatnot to be just that. Stories," Steve said. 

"Many of the other races might prefer that," Thor replied as they approached another door. "However, I am glad that you are here." 

He opened a large door and the room they entered was filled with an expansive pool. Steve’s jaw dropped as he looked at the room. He’d never seen a bath this big before. Back home, he had a bucket and a small tub to help clean himself when he felt dirty. This was… incredible. Thor turned to face him. He was clearly proud and showing off, but if Steve had a home like this, he would probably show it off too. 

“This is a bath?” Steve asked. 

“A bath for dragons,” Thor said with a grin. “Can you swim?” 

“Uh, no, there weren’t any lakes or rivers where we could learn,” Steve said. “All our water came from the wells.” 

“It may be best for you to stick to the shallows until you learn,” Thor said. “Now, what kind of soap and shampoos do you use for your body and hair?” 

Steve blinked at him in confusion. “The normal kind?” he replied. 

He was almost afraid to ask what shampoo was. They didn’t have anything so exotic in Red Hook. Brooklyn wasn’t as wealthy a nation as some of their neighbors, either, so even if they did have the money for such luxuries, whatever they were, they would probably only appear in the capital. 

“What scents do you enjoy?” Thor asked. “Oh, of course, you are unaware of what kinds of cleansing products we use. Come with me.” 

Steve held back a sigh as he followed Thor to a smaller room to the side of the larger one. There were countless glass bottles filled some kind of viscous liquid in varying shades. Each one was labeled with symbols that Steve guessed was the dragon language. Steve selected a blue one, more because the color was his favorite. He opened the lid and wafted the opening so he could catch the scent. It was strange and smooth, but unlike anything Steve had ever smelled. He replaced the lid. 

He went through each bottle until he settled on a scent that was both warm and sweet. It smelled somewhat like apples, but with something mixed in. It was comforting and it reminded him a little bit of the orchards back home. He kept that bottle. 

“Is there one of these for soap?” Steve asked. 

“Yes, of course,” Thor replied. 

He quickly found a bottle with the same symbols and handed it to him. Steve took the bottles and approached the edge of the pool. He set the bottles down and stepped down into the water. He sighed and then released a slow, satisfied moan. The water was so warm. He could feel the various aches and pains that he’d accumulated over the past few days starting to slip away. 

“May I offer assistance?” Thor asked. Steve didn’t even look. He nodded his consent and Thor stepped down into the pool. He poured a pitcher of water over Steve’s head. Steve was a little shocked, but he recovered quickly. It felt amazing. He’d never felt so warm in his life. 

“May I touch your hair?” Thor asked. Steve chuckled. “Have I offended?” 

“No, it just seems like a strange question,” Steve replied. “You can touch my hair.” 

“Dwarves consider their hair being touched to be a great offense,” Thor said. He poured a dollop of the substance into his palm and lathered Steve’s hair with it. It was an unfamiliar, but welcome feeling. Steve felt himself relaxing as Thor’s fingers scratched and massaged his scalp. It felt amazing to have someone touching him like this. He leaned into the touch. 

“That feels nice,” Steve said softly. He began to purr as Thor touched him gently. 

“I’m glad,” Thor said. “I was worried that this wouldn’t be what you are used to.” 

“It’s not, but it’s better,” Steve said. Thor didn’t press for details and Steve didn’t think much of it. “How do you have a bath this big just for bathing?” 

“You do not have similar technology?” Thor asked. “I had thought such things were possible in human lands.” 

“Maybe somewhere, but my area was poor,” Steve said. “You might have noticed, but there wasn’t much to the region I lived in.” 

“Yes, but I didn’t want to say anything,” Thor replied. “In the years that I inhabited that mountain, I never really saw much in the way of technology.” 

“Why were you in the mountain, anyway?” Steve asked. “If you’re a dragon, what brought you to my part of the world?” 

“I wished to see what the rest of the world was like,” Thor said. “It was difficult, but worth it in the end.” 

“You traveled the whole world?” Steve asked. 

“Hardly,” Thor chuckled. “The world is vast and it could take decades, even centuries to fully explore it. Your part of the world was when I was first setting out and I was unused to hunting for myself.” 

“Really?” Steve asked. “That makes sense, you were so small.”

“As I said, dragons grow quickly when we have an abundance of magic and food available,” Thor said. “The human lands are strangely abundant with both. Eventually, I had to return to the realms the other races inhabited because it was impossible for me to travel without being seen.” 

“How is it strange that human lands are abundant in magic?” Steve asked. “I didn’t know any mages when I was living in my town.” 

“Magic isn’t a limited resource,” Thor said. “It’s an energy, like the sun or wind. It occurs naturally in the world. The magic in your lands is plentiful, but wild. I think perhaps you need more mages in order to tame it.” 

“Good luck with that,” Steve said. “My mother and I were rumored to be witches and people hated us.” 

“I am sorry,” Thor said. “If you would like, I could find someone to teach you how to use magic.” 

“No, we were only rumored to be witches, and it’s never been something I felt like I needed,” Steve said. “Besides, I think I’d like to get used to… all this.” 

“Yes, I forgot, you have been through much today,” Thor said. 

Steve hummed. He found himself moving closer to Thor’s body. Despite the fact that he had only “met” Thor once a dozen years ago, it felt right. The water was warm, but Thor comfortable to lean against. His skin was smooth and soft while the muscular frame of his body radiating with strength. Steve felt safe, safer than he had ever felt in his life. 

Thor did not move to press his advantage with Steve. He was thorough in washing Steve’s hair, but beyond that, he did no try to become familiar with Steve. Steve remembered the alphas back home, how eager they were to grope, scent, or say things that were inappropriate. Ben broke half a dozen hands that his mother refused to treat before people got the idea. Thor did not touch any part of Steve’s body that Steve hadn’t given him permission to wash. 

Eventually, though, Thor’s hands disappeared and a pitcher of warm water splashed over Steve’s head. Steve sighed as the warm water flowed over him again. It felt as though his body was being cleansed of dirt and grime while the water around him became covered in suds. It was a wonderful feeling. 

“Would you like me to wash the rest of you or would you rather tend to your body yourself?” Thor asked. The image of Thor running his hands over Steve’s body with the same tender attention as Thor’s hands had paid his hair sprang to mind. It was… not an unwelcome image, but it was also one that Steve definitely didn’t want to happen. He could wash himself just fine. His heartbeat still quickened at the thought. 

“Um, no, I-I can handle it,” Steve said. He took the washcloth Thor offered and lathered it up with the soap. Thor smiled and turned his back to Steve. It was a welcome form of privacy. The mere act of being naked with an alpha was about as bold as he was willing to be today, considering everything else that had happened. There was a part of him that wanted to go further. There was another, more cautious part of him, that insisted on restraining himself. 

“How big is this place?” Steve asked. 

“This bath could be occupied by your entire town, most likely,” Thor replied. “It is meant to accommodate dragons in their true form, after all, and we often bathe in groups to build social bonds.” 

“I meant this mountain home of yours,” Steve replied. “But thanks for the tidbit about the bathroom.” 

“Ah, yes, of course,” Thor said. He hummed in thought and Steve saw Thor’s wings flick. “This mountain is probably four or five times as big as the mountain as the mountain where we met.” 

“That large?” Steve asked. 

“Yes, and my home stretches across the various mountains in this area,” Thor said. “It is luxuriously spacious for dragons, but for you, I suspect it is immense.” 

“I would probably need a horse to get from one end to the other,” Steve chuckled. Thor laughed as well, and Steve smiled at the sound. It was rich and deep and it made him feel warm. Well, warmer. 

Steve was careful and thorough as he washed himself. Even ignoring the filth that the townspeople had thrown at him, it had been some time since he had bathed like this. Actually, considering his usual method of bathing, he’d never actually bathed in this manner, but it was far superior from what he was used to. By the time he was clean, he felt like a new man. He leaned against the edge of the bath away from where he had cleaned himself and sighed happily. 

“I am glad you feel better,” Thor said. He got out of the bath to set a large, fluffy towel by the edge of the bath as he wrapped another one around his waist. Somehow, the image did little to make Steve feel better about his dragon captor’s appearance. Thor turned his back again to allow Steve to climb out of the bath. He dried himself off and meant to dress himself again before he frowned at his clothes. 

They were filthy. Looking at his body, it was clear how stark the difference was. The clothes were old and dirty, stained from dirt and mud and medicines that he damaged them over the years. The only things that were moderately clean were the fox fur hat and gloves. They had been adjusted over the years to fit his body, but he’d kept them. 

“I can procure new clothes for you,” Thor said. 

“I would like that,” Steve said. He bent down to pick up the gloves and hat, to keep them separate. “Is there a way I can wash these?” 

“Why those?” Thor asked. 

“I made them from the fox I shot that day,” Steve said. “They’re something of a memento.” 

Thor smiled and nodded. “I will have someone attend to them tomorrow,” he said. “I will show you to your quarters.” 

“Not the room where we arrived?” Steve asked. 

“No, that is a vestibule,” Thor said. Steve blinked. It wasn’t as though there were any homes with a “vestibule” in Red Hook. If it was anything like a foyer, then that would make sense. Sleeping there would make as much sense as sleeping in front of the door. It was technically possible, but why would anyone do it?

Steve followed Thor through the maze of caverns as they made their way to wherever Steve was going to stay. Eventually, they arrived at a door that was still large, but much less so than any of the others. Thor pushed it open and Steve gasped at what he found inside. 

It was still lavishly furnished, but clearly in a way that a human would find comfortable. There was a fireplace at the far wall larger than any Steve had seen. Around it were couches and chairs with cushions that looked more comfortable than anything Steve had ever seen. The room was decorated to make it look like the forest where Steve and Thor met, and the detail was exquisite. 

That was just the entrance. Steve looked around, stunned before he turned back to Thor. He looked worried, almost. He stood near the door with his wings raised and tucked in and his brow was furrowed. Steve smiled. 

“I can’t believe you did all this for me,” Steve said. 

“Do you… like it, then?” Thor asked. “We do not have many humans here, I was unsure of what would please you.” 

“I am pleased, Thor. Thank you,” Steve said. Thor seemed to relax and he smiled. 

“Would you like to join me for dinner or would you rather eat here?” Thor asked. 

“I think I’ll eat here,” Steve said. “So much has happened today. I’m going to need some rest.” 

“As you wish, little one,” Thor said. 

“Will you… let me know when Peter gets here?” Steve asked. “Him and his aunt, May?” 

“I will,” Thor said. “They may even stay with you here. This part of the palace has several rooms to choose from.” 

“Really?” Steve asked. “That’s… amazing, thank you. You’ve done so much for me.” 

Thor smiled, clearly pleased that Steve was pleased. He bowed his head and closed the door on his way out. Steve turned and looked at the room. It was incredible. There was more here than his cottage had ever had, and it was warm, despite the stone walls and cold mountains. 

He set about exploring his new wing of the castle. Despite what he had seen of the place already, he was shocked by how big it was. When Thor said he had set aside a place for Steve to stay, Steve had expected a room, maybe with an outhouse or something. Even his wing was designed for dragons in mind, but that was to be expected. He entered a long corridor and gasped when he saw the balcony it led to. 

Despite the fact that there was a balcony, the corridor felt as warm as the rest of the wing. Steve stepped out on the ledge devoid of snow and found the same thing. For the first time since arriving, he got a picture of what the mountains looked like. Sharp, white peaks pierced upwards to a clear blue sky. Giant pines and evergreens covered the mountains and filled the air with their scent. 

As he looked up at the sky, he saw a dozen dragons flying overhead. All of them were different colors and sizes. He watched in amazement as an enormous silver dragon (but much smaller than Thor) carefully flew down and disappeared behind the peak. None of the dragons looked the same and Steve marveled at them. 

He quite forgot that he was naked. It was only when he felt the wind blow past him that he remembered. He blushed with shock and shame and dashed back inside. Whatever came next, he needed to find a change of clothes. 

The corridor led to another area of the wing that seemed to be meant for sitting. Just how many places a person could sit seemed incredible. Surely a person needed one room for that, if they had one at all. 

_I suppose even dragons need to show that they have homes with more space than they know what to do with_ , Steve thought. 

Then again, considering the size of dragons, perhaps they really did need this much space. Thor did say that this castle was meant for family and retainers, after all. Perhaps they also had servants. Thor was a king, after all. Maybe the dragons treated their servants better than humans did. 

Steve walked through that room and found a hallway covered in an enormous red carpet with white and gold patterned on it. There were four doors on the hall. Steve approached the nearest one. He gasped as he found a bedroom completely proportional to the rest of the wing. It was light blue the shade of bluebells and the carpet on the floor was a light grey. Steve approached the enormous four poster bed surrounded by gossamer sheets. He tested the mattress by throwing himself on it. He sighed at the softness of it. It was like sleeping on a cloud, or what he assumed a cloud was like. 

He lay there for a while before he got up. He walked to a large wooden object and opened it. Inside there was a wide array of clothes in as many shades as he could imagine. He touched the fabric and marveled at how soft and smooth it was. It was a tunic of some sort, but the style was certainly not one he recognized. Red Hook had hardly been a cultural hub, but there were the occasional merchants who came hawking the latest fashions of the kingdom. This would surely put any of them to shame. There were even fancy undergarments!

He selected a shirt with a deep, dark blue and a pair of light tan pants that looked like they would fit. As for the undergarments, he got the first one he could get his hands on. He let the towel drop to the floor as he dressed himself. The pants were a little tight around his ass, but otherwise, they felt fine. The tunic was a little looser. Perhaps it was designed to accommodate wings. At any rate, Steve sighed at the feeling of being dressed again. He walked out of the room to test the other beds. 

He soon found out that none of the rooms were alike. Where the first room had been bright and calming, the second bed room was dark. The walls were a dark green the shade of pine needles and the carpet was a light brown. It was like being in a forest, a dark forest. He immediately left. 

The third room was better. The walls were dark greyish blue, like storm clouds with a white carpet. It came with a small balcony. Steve walked out onto it. He was greeted with a similar sight as the balcony on the corridor, but from this angle, he had a view of a valley. He could see houses of some sort dotting the landscape, as well as what looked like forests, farms, and even towns. 

He sighed at the sight. A view like this was the sort he might only find on the mountain. There were several times when he thought he might be better off moving his home up to the mountain away from the rest of the town. The only things that kept him from doing so were that he lacked the strength to build his own house and that he did, in fact, need other people around him to survive. 

_I wonder if I’ll miss anyone from Red Hook_ , Steve thought. He wouldn’t miss the nights he went hungry because people in their piety chose to avoid him. He wouldn’t miss the snide looks of moral superiority. He definitely wouldn’t miss the hypocrites who said he should be ashamed of himself as he helped heal their aches, pains, and illnesses. 

He might miss the mountain, though. He might miss the days he hiked up the mountain, either to hunt or gather herbs he needed. Here, he surely wouldn’t need to make such treks. If he chose to stay, he would have all sorts of things. He would have clothes and food and at least one person who cared about him. 

He checked the last room, just to make sure that he did. However, he ultimately chose the room with the balcony. He explored it some more and found a pair of rooms connected to it. There was a room with a strange sort of white chair next to a bath that was still bigger than any he’d had, but big enough for the room. He opened the lid and found it filled with water. Above the chair, though, there was a chain hanging from the season. He pulled it out of curiosity and jumped back as the chair rumbled and the water flowed quickly out and was immediately refilled. 

“What on earth?” Steve wondered. “What could this be for?” 

There was also a knob to the side of the chair. Steve turned it and suddenly he was being sprayed in the face with water. He spluttered for a moment before he turned it off. 

“Okay, this is the strangest thing I’ve seen all day,” Steve said. 

He would figure that out later. He checked the other room. This one was larger. It had a large wooden desk inside and several shelves filled with more books than Steve had ever seen in his life. Not that he had learned how to read. Books were for rich people. Everything Steve knew about his craft and medicines, he knew by heart. His mother had drilled him verbally on it night and day. 

He approached the shelves, nonetheless. They were nice to look at, anyway, but Steve wasn’t sure how he felt about the slightly musty smell that emerged when he opened one. It was an old book, apparently. He closed it and put it back. He didn’t know what their value was, but they probably had some sort of value if someone had bothered to put ink to paper and bind the pages together like this. 

He left the room and flopped on the bed with a sigh. He could feel the last reserves of energy he had fading away. His eyelids became heavy, his breathing slowed, and his consciousness began to fade. He lay his head on one of the soft, downy pillows and fell asleep.

* * *

When he woke in the morning, he was starving. His stomach rumbled loudly and he opened his eyes. Golden sunlight flowed through the balcony. It took Steve a moment to realize where he was. For a moment, he thought that perhaps he had died and woken up in heaven. A moment after that, he thought that yesterday was an elaborate dream. Who would even believe such a story?

It wasn’t a dream, and the beautifully soft, cloud-like bed that he was sleeping on was all the proof he needed. Part of him was a bit ashamed that he had managed to sleep all night in his new clothes, but he didn’t really care that much. He was more comfortable than any time he could remember. His omega instinct for soft things was finally fully satisfied, probably for the first time in his life. 

His luxuriating was interrupted by a knock at his door. He groaned softly and pulled blankets up to his chin. 

“Yes?” he asked. 

“It is me, my sweet,” Thor said. “I have brought breakfast since you missed dinner last night.” 

“Oh, thank you,” Steve said. “Come in.” 

The door opened and Thor walked in. Behind him were two servants with rolling platforms covered with various foods covered with silver domes. He smiled at the extravagance. What sort of person had this much food for breakfast? 

“You’re dressed,” Steve observed. Thor wore a dark red tunic that was half open down his chest, exposing a sliver of muscle and the tattoos that covered his chest. His pants were black and seemed to be made of some kind of leather. Steve didn’t mind. He found he quite liked their appearance. 

“I usually am,” Thor quipped with a smile. “Unfortunately, clothes cannot shift the way our bodies can. Being naked is an unescapable fact of taking another form.” 

Steve’s gaze drifted to the people following Thor. Each of them had wings, but they were both smaller than Thor. The man was taller, and somewhat broad. His hair was wispy and light blond with dark roots, like his hair had been windswept right before. His wings were white, but his arms were bare and had no markings at all. 

The woman, however, was shorter with dark red hair. Her wings were red so dark they almost looked black, but they shone in the sunlight. Her arms had markings, but they were much different from the swirls Thor had. Hers were more angular traveling up her arms with sharp turns. Perhaps there was some significance to the tattoos. 

“Ah, yes, I meant to introduce you to them last night, but I see that you were tired,” Thor said. “My apologies.” 

“It’s no problem,” Steve said with a yawn. “So who are you two?” 

“This is Pietro,” Thor said as he gestured to the man. “And Wanda.” 

“What are they? Servants?” Steve asked. 

“They are part of a family that has served mine for many generations,” Thor said. “When they reach the end of their time here, they become retainers in my household. They will assist me in the rule of the kingdom and fight with me in battles, should they arise.” 

“I see,” Steve said. 

“We brought food,” Pietro said. He opened a lid, revealing a plate of some kind of meat Steve didn’t recognize. Wanda did the same to reveal strange, exotic fruit. “His Majesty was unsure how much you would like. I told him he was worrying too much, but he insisted.” 

“I’m starving, actually,” Steve said. “I haven’t eaten in days.” 

There was a pregnant pause at that. They practically pushed the food at him after that. Steve laughed a little uncomfortably at how insistent they were. He forgot that not eating for days was unusual for others. He’d gotten used to it. Some weeks were lean when people were healthy. There was no escaping that. 

The fruit was… interesting. It was sweet, for sure, but they also had flavors Steve had never tried before. Some were somewhat sour, while others were tart. Steve enjoyed a fruit that was bright red and covered in seeds. When he bit into it, red juice dribbled down his chin. They were delicious, especially in the cream that Wanda offered with them. 

Thor also insisted that Steve eat some meat. Steve didn’t argue. Meat had always been something of a luxury, to be enjoyed when one had the money to buy it or the time to hunt for it. Thankfully, eggs were much the same here as they were back home. There was some kind of meat that was delicious and greasy and savory. 

Steve ate until he couldn’t anymore. He groaned as he fell back on the bed and sighed happily. Pietro and Wanda left him there, but Thor sat on the edge of the bed with him. 

“How long had it been since you ate?” he asked. 

“A few days,” Steve said. “I was about to eat something when Rumlow’s men took me away.” 

“Rumlow?” Thor asked. 

“The man who spoke to you when you found me,” Steve said. “That would’ve been the first meal I’d had in three days.” 

“You’d not eaten in three days and thought not to tell me?” Thor growled. Steve glared at him. 

“I couldn’t afford to buy food,” Steve said. “And I didn’t have the time to trek up the mountain and hunt. Being hungry was part of my life back home. My friend, Peter, was the town grocer, but he often couldn’t afford to bring food home because we needed money for other things.” 

“I just do not understand why or how you could sleep so long while being that hungry,” Thor said. 

“You get used to it,” Steve sighed in annoyance. He couldn’t deny that it was hard. Sleeping while hungry wasn’t exactly ideal, but there were times when it was just how life was. 

“I insist that you tell me when you are hungry,” Thor said. “I will not have you going without food here.” 

“Somehow I figured that,” Steve said. “I didn’t show up for dinner last night because I was tired. I fell asleep here and didn’t wake up until a few minutes ago.” 

“Very well, I will accept that,” Thor said. They were quiet for some time after that. 

“Has Peter and May arrived yet?” Steve asked. 

“No,” Thor said. “It may be a few days before they are found. I sent one of my fastest dragons to find them, though.” 

“Thanks,” Steve said. 

“You may take a few days to rest and recover your strength,” Thor said. 

“My strength is fine,” Steve replied. 

“You just said that this was your first meal in four days,” Thor countered. 

“Yes, and that is longer than some of my hungry times, but shorter than others,” Steve replied. “I am strong enough for whatever you might have in mind.” 

“I would feel better if you took a few days to rest,” Thor said. 

“What exactly do you have in mind that requires me to be in such good shape?” Steve asked. 

“I was going to give you a full tour of my home,” Thor said. “As I said, it spans several of the mountains in this area, so it would be much more difficult for you.” 

Steve considered this. Each of these mountains were much larger, if what Thor said about this mountain was true. Having a few days of regular meals might help with such a tour.

“Fine, I’ll rest and recuperate,” Steve said. Thor smiled. 

“I would be happy to spend time with you in some other capacity,” Thor said. 

“Well, I did have one question,” Steve said. 

“Just the one?” Thor teased. Steve punched his shoulder and Thor just laughed. Steve, meanwhile, shook his hand. 

“Ow!” he said. “What are you made of?” 

“Scales, when I’m in my dragon form,” Thor said dryly. Steve glared at him. “My skin in this form is the same as yours, but much more durable, I expect.” 

“I suppose that makes sense,” Steve said. “Anyway, how do you use that white chair in that room?” 

“The washroom?” Thor asked. “Do you not have water closets in Brooklyn?” 

Steve shook his head and Thor raised his eyebrows. Then he grimaced. 

“What?” Steve asked. 

“Nothing, I was just wondering… what it is you do with your waste,” Thor said. 

“We have outhouses,” Steve said. “It all goes in a pit, I suspect.” 

“Charming,” Thor said. 

“So the chair—water closet, is for relieving yourself?” Steve asked. “Weird. Why does it spray water?” 

“To clean yourself,” Thor said. “You wash your arse with it.” 

“Wow,” Steve said. “Fancy.” 

Thor burst out laughing. It was a loud, full-bodied sound. His wings flared out as he fell over on the bed, convulsing with laughter. Steve flushed bright red and crossed his arms. Thor looked good while he was laughing, but not while he was laughing at Steve. It took several minutes for Thor to compose himself. 

“I-I’m sorry,” Thor said. “I just cannot believe that you do not have such technology.” 

“Well, we don’t,” Steve said. “If we did, I suspect it would be in the capital and not out in a remote town like Red Hook.”

“Yes, it was wrong of me to laugh,” Thor said. “Come, let me show you how it works.” 

Thankfully, Thor didn’t do a demonstration. It was quick and painless and at the end, Steve understood what the purpose was. He also learned how to operate the plumbing, as Thor called it. In the back of his mind, Steve was thinking of all the things that might have been possible if Steve had had running water in his house. It was a revelation, to be honest. Even the prospect of being able to have hot running water every day seemed like a fantastic dream. He definitely planned on taking advantage of that. 

“Is there anything else you wish to learn?” Thor asked. 

“Yes,” Steve said. “Could you… teach me how to read?” 

“You want to read my language?” Thor asked. 

“Well, if you have books in my language, that would be nice, I suppose,” Steve said. “But I would like to learn your language, too, if you would be willing to teach me. If I end up living here, it would probably be good to learn.” 

Thor hummed. “I will be honest, I have never taught a human Draconic. I do not know what difficulties you will face,” he said. “I would be happy to teach you, but perhaps it would be easier to teach you how to read your language first.” 

To Steve’s surprise, there were, in fact, books in Steve’s language. He didn’t know the difference between those and the books in other languages, but he was determined to learn well. Thor started by writing out different symbols out on a piece of parchment. When he was done, he put it in front of Steve. He went over each symbol and helped Steve with the pronunciation. It took much longer than Steve thought. 

“You know, I thought learning to read would be easier,” Steve said. 

“All skills are difficult when you first start out,” Thor said. “It will get easier with time. Perhaps you will be reading novels by Wintersend.” 

“If you say so,” Steve said. “I appreciate this, Thor.” 

Thor smiled gently down at him. “You are welcome, my sweet,” he said quietly. He straightened. “Come on, it is nearly lunch time.” 

“Lunch?” Steve asked. “I had a huge breakfast not long ago.” 

“That was five hours ago,” Thor said. “Here you will have three square meals a day, at least.” 

“Gods have mercy, I’m going to get fat,” Steve sighed. Thor chuckled. 

“I’m sure there are worse things,” he said. “I will love you passionately, no matter the shape of your body. None of it shall quench my desire for you.” 

“You have such a way with words,” Steve said as he stood. “Very well, I’ll let you feed me lunch.” 

Thor smiled and offered his hand to Steve. Steve took it, of course. He relished the warmth in Thor’s body, even in his hands. Thor squeezed his hand gently and Steve smiled. He walked with Thor, but just like the previous day, he paused at the corridor to wander out to the balcony. He could feel the warmth of the sun overhead. 

“Your home is beautiful,” Steve said as he felt Thor walk up behind him. 

“Its wonders are many, it’s true, and I am glad that you see them,” Thor said. “I was worried you wouldn’t.” 

“I think a blind man could see that this place is beautiful,” Steve said. “I might stay just so I could get to see this every day.” 

Thor smiled and stepped closer to lay a hand on top of where Steve’s rested on the railing. Steve allowed himself to rest his head against Thor’s arm. 

“It would please me, of course, to have you stay here,” Thor said. “But if I can do anything to make this place seem more like home, you need only ask.” 

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Steve said. “Thank you, Thor. I’m not sure if I deserve this, but I’m glad to be here.” 

“Such ridiculous things you say,” Thor said. “Anyone with as much kindness as you deserves no less.” 

Steve didn’t say anything to that. He thought of his mother, the way that she spent her entire life. She deserved something like this. She would never get to see this, though. Maybe she could, if she was watching him from wherever she had ended up after she died. He hoped that she would be happy for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos give me life, y'all!
> 
> Come follow me on [tumblr](https://leisurelypanda.tumblr.com/) for various fandom related nonsense! <3


	3. Chapter 3

The first thing that Steve noticed was that there was a great deal more of… pretty much everything. The halls were bigger, and so was pretty much everything else. In fact, the food he’d had for breakfast was a miniaturized version of what dragons themselves ate. When he and Thor arrived at where they were going to eat lunch, the food brought out for them was simply staggering… until someone brought out food that was specifically for Steve. 

It stood to reason, of course. Thor was enormous as a dragon. That probably required a great deal of food in order to function. Still, the sheer amount of food that Thor went through would probably feed Steve for a whole week. 

Of course, he was expected to eat more, as well. That was still a concept that he was getting used to. Not that he disliked the food. Everything was delicious, but having a full stomach was almost strange to him. 

The other thing that Steve noticed was that his own quarters were probably not designed by a dragon. If they were, they were designed by one who had a fairly accurate understanding of how to keep humans comfortable. The furnishings for dragons were wholly different from the fine couches, tables, and beds that Steve enjoyed. 

The table that Steve and Thor ate at was very low to the ground. There were furs and cushions stretched out nearby so that one could recline while they ate. Steve found that they were useful since he tended to become sleepy. Thor was very insistent that Steve eat sufficiently, so much so, in fact, that he had Steve sit next to him so that Thor could feed him directly. It was strange, but not the strangest thing since Steve had arrived. Steve wasn’t willing to put up a fight over the opportunity to eat food that was provided. However, that wasn’t going to stop him from stretching out when he was done. 

He found himself studying Thor. Whether Thor noticed or not was unclear. If he did, he didn’t do anything. He focused mostly on Thor’s wings and his upper body. The man—dragon—was massive, but eating as much food as he was seemed implausible. 

“Where does it all go?” Steve asked.

“Where does what go?” Thor asked. He paused in eating some kind of meat that Steve had tasted and decided was rather good. 

“The food you eat,” Steve said. 

“In my stomach?” Thor replied with an amused look. 

“I know that, but… your dragon form is much larger…” Steve said. 

“You are asking how this form is able to consume so much?” Thor asked. He hummed. “I’m sure there is magic involved, but I wouldn’t know exactly how.” 

“You do something without knowing how it happens?” Steve asked. 

“Do you know how your body processes the food you eat?” Thor asked. Steve closed his mouth. He shook his head. “I eat until I feel sated. I cannot explain how it works exactly, but I know that it does and that is good enough for me.” 

Steve nibbled at a bit of cheese. It was strange, but good. It had a sweet, slightly nutty flavor and it paired well with the tart fruit it was next to. Thor glanced at him and hummed with approval. Steve ignored him, just as he ignored the way his heart started beating fast and the sudden desire to purr knowing that an alpha was approving of him. 

“Do you always eat alone?” Steve asked. 

“I’m not alone,” Thor pointed out. “You are here, are you not?” 

“I meant, do you ever eat with other dragons?” Steve asked. 

“Of course,” Thor said. “But as I mentioned, most of the other dragons who reside here are gone at the moment. When they return, there will be a great feast.” 

“Why? And this isn’t a feast?” Steve asked. Thor smiled in amusement. 

“No, it is simply lunch,” Thor said. “A feast is much bigger and grander, and there is a great deal of roaring and singing.” 

“I know what a feast is,” Steve said. “But why will there be one?” 

“Why, because I found what I was looking for,” Thor said. Steve felt his face burn. “Does your face often turn red?” 

“It is not red!” Steve protested. 

“I can procure a mirror if you would like,” Thor said. “You are not reacting adversely to anything, are you?”

“No!” Steve cried. “Do you mean to tell me that all the dragons out there are looking for me?” 

“Not all of them,” Thor replied. “Just the ones who live here.” 

“Why?” Steve asked. 

“Is it so difficult to believe that I wished to court you so badly?” Thor asked. 

“To the extent that you would send out your entire family and retainers to find me? That does seem a bit more difficult to believe,” Steve replied. “I’ve never had anyone take such a great interest in me.”

“Truly?” Thor asked. “You had no suitors in your town?”

“I wouldn’t call them suitors, no,” Steve said. “I think they just wanted to have sex because the priests said that it was a sin before the gods to be intimate with someone before you were married.”

“What a strange custom,” Thor said. “But you still had no suitors?”

“Oh, I had plenty of proposals,” Steve said. “But none of them were interested in me. They were interested in the novelty and danger of proposing to a witch. I’m sure none of them would have actually had the courage to go through with the process of actually marrying me.”

“Disgraceful,” Thor said. “Perhaps I will conquer your kingdom and introduce a civilized way of life as a gift to you.” 

Steve actually laughed at that. The thought of Thor, who insisted that he meant no harm, returning to Brooklyn to conquer it simply because the alphas and beta men of Red Hook had insulted Steve was truly too much. 

“I could do it, you know,” Thor said. “I could do it by myself, too. It would take a month, at most.” 

“Oh, wow, you’re serious,” Steve said. He calmed down. “I don’t want to rule Brooklyn just because a couple dumb kids made a game of seeing if I would say yes to their proposals.” 

“You would not have to live there,” Thor said. “We could just have a dragon at the capital who governed the region according to your wishes.” 

“But I don’t want that,” Steve said. “It doesn’t matter to me what they do now. I was hardly concerned with it before.” 

“Do you think we would be harsh rulers?” Thor asked. “I assure you, despite what you may have heard, we are not cruel or heartless.”

“I know that,” Steve replied. 

“Then I fail to see why it would be a problem,” Thor said. “Surely teaching them a better way would be preferable to letting them continue as they are.” 

“Because I don’t want the people to suffer through the process of being conquered,” Steve said. “How many people would die trying to fight you? How many people would be resentful of you for doing so? How long would it take for peace to return?” 

“In a few hundred years, everyone would forget,” Thor replied. 

“That’s a long time for humans,” Steve replied. “And who’s to say that the neighboring kingdoms won’t come to Brooklyn’s aid? Will you be forced to conquer them as well?”

Thor growled and Steve glared at him. Finally, Thor flapped his wings once and sighed. 

“Very well, I will not conquer your homeland,” Thor said. “I will find something else to give to you.”

“Thank you,” Steve said. Thor grunted and something strange shot out from his mouth. They were like jagged lines that snapped and crackled in the air and even from this distance, Steve could feel a bit of heat from it. It fizzled out a foot from his mouth, but Steve was still startled. 

“For future reference, though,” Thor said. “You must never refuse an actual gift from a dragon. It is a great insult. I do not currently possess Brooklyn, but if I had and you refused, it would have been extremely rude.” 

“Really?” Steve asked. “Why?”

Thor stared at him for a while. He visibly calmed and his wings ruffled a bit. Steve swallowed. He seemed… perturbed. 

“I don’t mean to be rude,” Steve asked. “I just don’t understand because I’m not a dragon.” 

“Yes, of course,” Thor said. He took a deep breath and Steve felt a bit better as Thor seemed to calm more. “It is because dragons are a very possessive and selfish species by nature. We are social, yes, but when it comes to what we own, we protect it fiercely. So to refuse a gift from a dragon is a great insult because it is like saying you do not see value in something they chose to give you from their hoard. As king, if a dragon refuses a gift, it might mean that they think I am unworthy to be king and that they wish to challenge me for my throne.”

“Oh,” Steve said. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend.” 

“It is as you said. You are not a dragon,” Thor said. “I will bear that in mind, but know that I am not angry with you, my sweet. Just surprised.” 

“Well, it’s not every day that someone offers to conquer a whole country just to court you,” Steve said. 

“Clearly your kind need lessons on how to properly treat an omega,” Thor grumbled, though he was smiling. Steve laughed again. 

“Maybe someday,” Steve said. “For an anniversary gift or something.” 

“I will keep that in mind,” Thor chuckled.

* * *

Lunch was followed by another reading lesson. It took an hour before his head started spinning. If this was what human letters were like, he didn’t want to know what it would be like to learn Draconic. Thankfully, Thor announced that it was time for a break and they went from the library to the drawing room near the entrance. Steve stopped at the balcony, as he was wont to do, and looked out. 

“How is it so warm even though the mountains are covered in snow?” Steve asked. 

“Magic, of course,” Thor said. “But what, specifically, I’m afraid I do not know.” 

“It’s amazing,” Steve said. “I never thought a place so beautiful could exist. It feels like I’m dreaming every time I walk past this place.”

“I must admit, I did not appreciate how beautiful Asgard was until I travelled,” Thor said. 

“Asgard?” Steve asked. 

“Yes, the name of my kingdom,” Thor said. 

“You’re kidding,” Steve said. 

“No, I most certainly am not,” Thor said. “Why would you say that?”

“Because Asgard is the name of the home of the gods my people worship, according to the priests,” Steve said. “It’s where the king of the gods, Odin, resides.” 

Thor laughed loudly. He collapsed to the ground gripping his sides, his wings flaring out wide as he fell to the ground gripped with convulsive laughter. Steve stared at him. He chuckled nervously at what this could possibly mean. 

“Your people worship Odin?” Thor asked. 

“Yes,” Steve replied. “And other gods. There are lots of them.”

“That is truly the most amusing and ridiculous thing I have ever heard,” Thor sighed. “Thank you for telling me.” 

“Sure, if you tell me why it’s funny,” Steve said. 

“Odin is my father,” Thor said. Steve’s jaw dropped and Thor chuckled to himself. “I am sure that he would be quite pleased to know that he is being worshipped as a god, too.” 

“He’s real?” Steve asked. “Really?”

“He is,” Thor said. “He once said that he once conquered the human realms, but left them to their own devices because your lifespans are so short and he grew tired of having to keep up with how quickly everything changed for them.” 

“I can’t believe it,” Steve said. “But now I know that I was right not to think much of the gods.” 

“Oh, I don’t know,” Thor said with a suggestive grin. “I think I would be quite pleased if you were to worship me.” 

Steve laughed and shrugged. “Guess you’ll have to persuade me,” he said. Thor made a low rumble in his chest that sent shivers up Steve’s spine. 

“I’m sure I can find a way,” Thor said. He took Steve’s hand and pulled him the rest of the way to the drawing room. When they arrived, Thor sat on the largest couch and pulled Steve onto his lap.

“W-What?” Steve asked. 

“Settle yourself,” Thor said. “I have no plans to ravish you… yet.” 

“A wicked dragon you are,” Steve said. 

“Indeed,” Thor chuckled. “But for now, I wish for you to rest.”

“All we’ve been doing is reading,” Steve replied. 

“And do you think I could not tell that you were beginning to tire from it? That your mind struggled to keep up?” Thor asked. Steve frowned, but Thor just traced his mouth with a callused thumb. “It is better for you to not overexert yourself. Take your time, we are in no hurry. Rest.”

Thor wrapped his wings around Steve’s body, cocooning them from the outside world. Steve felt weariness wash over him as he looked at Thor. His eyes became heavy. His head did hurt. His body was still tired from everything that he’d experienced in the past few days. Thor’s alpha scent filled his nostrils. It was warm and soothing, it made Steve feel safe.

“What are you doing?” Steve asked. 

“Nothing,” Thor said. “You are tired. I do not need magic to make it so. You need to rest, my sweet.” 

Steve nodded and laid his head on Thor’s shoulder. Thor wrapped his arms and wings gently around him and Steve drifted off to sleep in Thor’s warm, comforting embrace.

* * *

Steve had no idea how long he was asleep for. All he knew was that when he awoke, Thor was still with him and Steve was feeling hungry again. It was completely ridiculous, of course. After days of not being able to afford food, his stomach was so demanding in one day. Regardless, his stomach rumbled as soon as he opened his eyes. Thor smiled at him. 

“You’re awake, good,” Thor said. 

“How long did I sleep?” Steve asked. 

“A few hours,” Thor said. “Your body must have been under great strain recently.”

“Perhaps,” Steve said. “I’ve never slept so much in my life.” 

“Then it is good that you are catching up now,” Thor replied. “Sleep can be healing, if you let it.” 

“I suppose,” Steve said. “Not quite the same when your survival depends on you being able to work. Sleeping a lot was considered a sign of laziness.” 

“Your people are a strange lot,” Thor said. 

“What makes you say that?” Steve asked. “It seems pretty normal to me.”

“Your lives move so quickly. You grow and live and have families before the youngest drakes begin to speak,” Thor said. “Yet you have no time to rest or enjoy yourselves.” 

“In fairness, your life baffles me,” Steve said. “You have so much and live so long, but what do you do for all eternity?”

“There are all manner of things to learn how to do to fill the time,” Thor said. “You will understand eventually.” 

“Will I?” Steve asked. His stomach rumbled and Thor smiled down at him.

“But for now, let us simply focus on getting you some food,” he said. Steve was about to sigh that he didn’t have time for such luxuries, but then he remembered that he didn’t have to heal anyone anymore. He decided to just go with it, but before he could, Thor picked him up as he stood. 

“Hey! I can walk, you know!” Steve said. 

“Of course I do,” Thor replied. “But you are tired and I would hate for you exert yourself.” 

“I think I can manage to walk to the dining room,” Steve drawled. 

“I have every confidence that you can, but I would like to hold you for a while longer, so I will,” Thor said. Steve rolled his eyes and laid his head against Thor’s shoulder again. He had a feeling he wasn’t going to win this fight. Were all alphas so overbearing or was this particular to dragons?

* * *

It was later the next day when Steve saw the first dragon return to the mountain—Asgard. It was still strange to think that the supposed home of the gods was actually the home of the king of dragons. From a certain perspective, he could see where the mistake came from. Dragons were powerful and immortal and they had powers that humans could scarcely imagine. To believe that such beings were divine was probably not a great stretch. 

Still, there was a part of him that felt sorry for the people in Red Hook who believed so adamantly that the gods were real and that they were watching over the humans’ lives. They believed so fervently because it seemed to give their difficult lives meaning. What would the truth do to them if they knew?

His reverie was interrupted when he saw a green dragon flying overhead. He could tell at a glance that this one was smaller than Thor, but they were still enormous compared to any creature Steve had ever seen. 

What if they have Peter and May? Steve wondered. He hurried out of the room and almost ran into Wanda. She laughed in surprise as he shook himself off. Even a young dragon such as Wanda was so strong compared to him. 

“What’s the hurry, Steve?” she asked. 

“A dragon is flying overhead,” Steve said. She smiled with amusement. 

“And?” she asked. 

“And I was going to check to see if they had my friends,” Steve replied. “But… I just realized that I can’t remember how to get to the vestibule.” 

“I’ll take you there,” she said. She turned around and started leading Steve through the maze of tunnels that filled the mountain. They really should have signs or something here. Someone could get lost if they didn’t know where they were going.

Eventually, though, he arrived at the vestibule. Thor was already there, as well as a tall, slim man with long, black hair. He was dressing himself in a green tunic and black trousers. The tattoos covering his chest and arms, though, were still visible and they were very different from Thor’s. Where Thor’s were interwoven in spirals and looked like flame, this one’s tattoos were patterned in shapes. From a distance, the markings looked like snow. 

“Greetings, Loki,” Thor said. “How were your travels?” 

“Perfectly miserable,” the one called Loki replied. “The human lands are primitive. Why did you have to have an omega from one of those lands? Wouldn’t an elf or fae mate be a better choice?”

Thor growled and Loki growled back before he backed down. The tension in the room was nearly palpable. Steve looked between them. Whoever this newcomer was, he seemed to rile Thor up with little effort. If he lived here, maybe he was a member of the family. A retainer would probably never speak to their king like this, no matter the species. 

“When it comes time for you to take a mate, brother, you may choose one from another race,” Thor said. “I have chosen the one I will pursue.” 

“So you have,” Loki said. “Still, it is a surprise to find you back before I returned. Did you find him?” 

Steve cleared his throat and the two alphas turned to look at him. Loki looked down at him and then returned his gaze to Thor. 

“You cannot be serious,” he said. “This slip of a thing is your intended? He looks as though he would barely survive a northern winter. Would not a stronger mate be more appealing than this mewling runt?” 

Thor surged forward, but before he could touch Loki, Steve stepped up and slapped him across the face. Loki blinked at the strike, though Steve suspected that his own hand stung more than Loki’s face. Still, it was enough to distract Loki so Thor could grab him and throw him to the floor. 

“If you insult my intended again, I will banish you from our home,” Thor growled. “You will treat him with due respect or you will spend the next few millennia watching over a tribe of goblins.” 

Loki grimaced at the thought. Steve had never seen a goblin, but he got the feeling that they weren’t well regarded among the dragons. Or perhaps Loki simply didn’t like them for some reason. Either way, the alpha shut up and let his wings droop. Only then did Thor let him up. 

“I am sorry that you had to witness that,” Thor said. “My brother is haughty, particularly when he has been put to work.” 

“You make me sound like a disgruntled pack mule,” Loki drawled as he stood. “If you will excuse me, Your Highness, I have spent the better part of a month scouring the human lands for this omega of yours and I am eager to clean myself properly.” 

With that, Loki strode out of the room. Steve turned back to Thor and stepped closer. He seemed perturbed and Steve stepped into his space without really thinking about it. He began to purr and Thor wrapped his arms around him. Steve pressed his face against Thor’s broad chest and nuzzled it until he felt Thor begin to purr as well. 

“Thank you, little one,” Thor murmured. “Are you well?”

“I’m fine, it takes more than name calling to offend me,” Steve said. “I can’t believe you’re related to him, though. You’re so kind and gentle compared to him.”

“Few dragons could truly be called kind, and I am surely not one of them,” Thor said. “One does not become King of the dragons by being soft-hearted.”

“You’ve never said those kinds of things to me, though. I think you are a gentle man at heart,” Steve said. “You knew what I looked like and you still came for me.” 

“You are lovely,” Thor said. “My brother is blind for not seeing it.” 

“Would you really want him to, though?” Steve asked with a grin. “Would you really want him to become competition for my affections?” 

Thor growled lowly at the question. The sound reverberated through his chest so much so that Steve could feel the vibrations from where their bodies touched. It sent shivers down his spine. He pressed closer to Thor and Thor grinned in satisfaction. The scent of smoke and pine filled Steve’s scent more sharply than before. There was also that scent that Steve still couldn’t identify. It was warm and it made Steve feel more comfortable the longer he smelled it. 

“I am confident that I could win the right to court you,” Thor said with a grin. “Though I would happily fight him for the honor and pummel him as much as I could.” 

“Seriously? You fight for omegas?” Steve asked. 

“How else would one resolve a contested claim?” Thor asked. “If you ended up rejecting me as a mate, then someone else could make the attempt, but being courted by more than one alpha simultaneously is not done.” 

“Huh. Well, I have to say that if alphas had to fight for my hand, it would’ve made it easier to tell who was serious about it,” Steve said. 

“If any of them came, I would happily defeat them to defend my position as the one courting you,” Thor said. 

“I’m not sure how much glory there would be in taking down tailors, coopers, and stable boys,” Steve chuckled. “They’d probably shit themselves just looking at you.” 

Thor sighed. “No, I suppose not,” he said. “But then, few people of any races are a match for a dragon.”

“Don’t worry, I think I have the strongest dragon,” Steve said with a smile. Thor smiled smugly and Steve stood on his toes. Even then, he couldn’t reach Thor’s face and he pouted up at him. He tried tugging at Thor’s shirt, but the dragon just grinned down at him in amusement. 

“What’s wrong, my sweet?” Thor asked. 

“I’m trying to kiss you, dumbass,” Steve grumbled. “You’re too damn tall.” 

“Is that so?” Thor asked. Before Steve could respond, Thor bent down and hooked his arms around Steve’s thighs. Steve yelped as Thor stood and swept him off his feet with graceful ease. He looked back into Thor’s face and the dragon grinned. “Better?” 

“Show-off,” Steve replied. 

“Well, of course,” Thor said. He was clearly preening if the smug grin on his face was anything to go by. Steve pressed a kiss to his lips anyway and Thor hummed into it. He began to walk, but Steve didn’t pay much attention until he was pressed against a wall as Thor pushed his tongue into Steve’s mouth. Steve moaned at the feeling. Thor was hot against him. Steve could feel his teeth, sharper than any human’s, biting and nipping at Steve’s lips. Steve gasped and moaned at the feeling, though Thor didn’t draw blood. 

Steve grew heated. He kissed back as best he could, but he’d never kissed an alpha. Thor was more than skilled, though, and Steve copied his movements as best he could. Thor eventually pulled away to breath and Steve let his head fall back against the wall he was pinned against. His lungs burned for air, but he felt amazing. Thor bent to kiss and suck at his neck and Steve moaned as he felt the delicious feeling of Thor’s lips and teeth sucking and nipping at his skin. 

“Thor,” he moaned. Thor rumbled against him as he moved further down. “Oh, gods, Thor…” 

Thor grinned against his neck as he began to suck harder. Steve moaned loudly. His body felt hot and needy. He could feel his ass begin to slicken. He was caught between being mortified that an alpha was making him feel this way, and not caring in the slightest. 

“Please, Thor,” he moaned. 

“Please what, little one?” Thor asked softly, his breath ghosting against the shell of Steve’s ear. “What do you want of me?”

“Gods, I-I want… I don’t… I don’t know,” Steve moaned. He pressed against Thor’s body, desperate for something he wasn’t familiar with. All he knew was that he wanted it, needed it. “Please, Thor.” 

Thor shushed him gently. He pulled back enough to undo the laces of Steve’s pants. He fished Steve’s cock out. Steve gasped as Thor wrapped his huge hand around his cock. It looked tiny in comparison. The image of Thor’s massive member came to mind and Steve shuddered as Thor began pumping Steve’s cock gently. 

“Oh fuck,” Steve breathed. “Oh, gods, fuck!” 

“That’s it, my sweet one,” Thor purred. He sealed his lips over Steve’s and Steve moaned into Thor’s mouth as Thor’s tongue caressed his own. Thor’s hand pumped steadily over Steve’s cock. It felt like heaven. It was so much better than Steve’s own hand. His legs trembled as he clung to Thor’s body. “I’ve got you. Come for me, Steve.” 

Steve came with a loud cry. His come burst from his cock more intensely than any he’d experienced in his life. Thor milked his cock through the orgasm, the intensity of the pleasure more than anything Steve had imagined. Then, when Steve was done, he brought his hand to his lips and began to lick Steve’s come from his fingers. It was the most depraved, erotic thing Steve had ever seen. Thor licked his fingers greedily, chasing every last drop that he’d milked from Steve’s body. 

“Fuck,” Steve breathed. Before he could say anything more, though, there was a sudden gust of wind. Thor looked up with a frustrated growl. Steve quickly laced his pants together again as another dragon descended. This one had shining, silver scales with black and gold veins running over them. As the dragon landed, they set two people down on the pile of furs at the entrance. Steve gasped. 

“It’s Peter and May!” he cried. 

Thor glanced at him and smiled as the dragon began to transform. What took their place was a large, muscular man smaller than Thor, but with big, silver wings and black and gold markings similar to Loki’s trailing along his body. Steve couldn’t help but glance at his member (just to compare it to Thor’s). It was large, but not quite as large as Thor’s. Still, the sight of a naked man was enough to make him blush, despite what he had just finished doing with Thor. 

Thor approached and tossed one of the furs to the new dragon. The dragon looked down with a puzzled look and shrugged as he wrapped it around his waist. 

“Since when have you been shy about other people’s bodies?” the new dragon asked. 

“Since my intended has arrived and humans are apparently less open about such things,” Thor replied. 

“Oh are they?” the newcomer asked. “Well, thanks for letting me know.” 

Steve rushed over to Peter and threw himself into his friend’s arms. Peter squawked with surprise before he returned the gesture. 

“Steve!” he cried. “By the gods, you’re okay! Bucky was telling the truth!” 

“Bucky? The dragon?” Steve asked. 

“Yeah,” Peter said. “He came, said that he was sent to bring us here since you asked about us. Where…is here, anyway?” 

“I’m not really sure,” Steve said. “But it’s better than Red Hook, anyway.” 

“Is it?” Peter asked. “Well, that’s lucky for us, I suppose.” 

“Yeah, there’s so much here,” Steve said. “I’ve only been here a couple days, but it’s been amazing. You have to see their baths, they’re huge!”

“Well, I don’t know about you boys, but I think I could certainly use a bath,” May said. “Flying across gods know where was terrifying and exhausting.” 

“I can take you to where Thor’s put me up,” Steve said. “There are several rooms to choose from and they all have their own baths.” 

“Fancy,” Peter said. “Honestly, I think that sounds amazing.” 

“Thor,” Steve said. Thor and Bucky turned to him. “I’m going to take my friends to the suite so they can rest.” 

“Very well,” Thor said. “I will have Pietro and Wanda bring you all food and garments later. I’m sure they must be hungry, as well.” 

“Thank you,” Steve said. He turned and led them to the exit. As soon as they were out of the room, Peter caught up. 

“Who was that?” Peter asked. 

“That was Thor,” Steve said. “He was the dragon who appeared over Red Hook.” 

“That’s him?” Peter asked. “Do all dragons change their shape like that?” 

“So far as I can tell,” Steve said. “Thor says that they all have the ability, so I guess he would know. He’s also the King here.”

“King?” Peter asked. “Of what?” 

“Dragons,” Steve said. Peter’s eyes went wide. “I know, it was a shock to me, too.” 

“Seems like you’ve been busy,” Peter said. “You have a lot to tell us.” 

Steve took a deep breath. He just hoped that they wouldn’t think him crazy after all this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos give me life, y'all!
> 
> Come follow me on [tumblr](https://leisurelypanda.tumblr.com/) for various fandom related nonsense! <3


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A shorter chapter this time. Sorry it's a couple days late, but I hope you all enjoy it! <3

Peter languished in the hot porcelain tub as Steve washed his hair deftly. He was clean of all the grime he’d accumulated in the past few days. The shampoo Steve gave him smelled sweet, like some kind of fruit Peter had never seen. He liked it, though. It was far and away superior to the soaps that they used back home from leftover oil and fat. He enjoyed smelling nice in addition to feeling clean. 

“So,” he said. “Thor is the King of dragons.” 

“Yes,” Steve said. Peter closed his eyes and purred at the feeling of Steve’s fingers against his scalp. It felt incredible. The water was warm, too, and it magically appeared from some kind of invisible pump after Steve just turned a knob. The legends of dragons living in magical caves were true, certainly. 

“And he’s courting you?” Peter asked. 

“Yes,” Steve said. 

“Damn, some people get all the luck,” Peter grumbled. “All Bucky told us was that you were safe and that you wanted us to join you.” 

“And you just agreed?” Steve asked. 

“Well… no,” Peter said. “It took a few hours of persuasion. He had to cast a scrying spell to prove that you were safe.” 

“Oh gods, what was I doing?” Steve asked. 

“You were eating food in a huge bed with Thor a couple people I didn’t recognize pushing more food than I’ve ever seen you eat towards you.” 

“Oh, that,” Steve said. “Well, it’s better than some of the other things you could’ve seen.” 

“Steve Rogers, what have you been up to?” Peter demanded. He turned in the bath tub to look at him. He gasped when Steve blushed bright red. “Tell me! You have to tell me! Come on, we always said that we’d tell each other if we ever did end up finding someone who seemed worth the time!”

“Well… the first day, we took a bath together…” Steve said. Peter gasped. 

“Naked???” he asked. 

“Yes, how else do you take a bath?” Steve sighed. He picked up a pitcher and dumped a bunch of hot water over Peter’s head. Peter gasped and moaned at the feeling. Who knew magical hot water could feel so good?

“Don’t tell me it was in one of these,” Peter said. “They’re huge, but I don’t think they’d fit Thor and you.” 

“It was… in another room,” Steve said. “They have a huge room for dragons to bathe in. Apparently they like to bathe together sometimes, so the room is enormous and capable of fitting several dragons in their true forms.” 

“Oh my gods,” Peter gasped. “Was he in his dragon form? How did he look?” 

“He was in his… I don’t know if it’s a human form since they all seem to have wings one way or another,” Steve said. 

“But he didn’t look like a dragon,” Peter said. 

“Exactly,” Steve said. “He looked like how you saw him today.” 

“Wow,” Peter said. He remembered the way Bucky looked when he transformed. All bulging muscle, beautiful tattoos that almost hid the fact that he was naked. But then, nothing could’ve distracted Peter from seeing Bucky’s cock. It was huge and thick and somehow, the fact that he had grumbled about hiding it made him even more attractive. 

He couldn’t forget the way Bucky smelled, either. He smelled like snow and spearmint, a cool, sharp scent. Peter was only disappointed that he hadn’t gotten a chance to scent him again before Steve took them away. Then again, it did feel amazing to be clean again and to see everything Steve had experienced. 

“He says that if I turn him down, he’ll ensure I’m comfortable and provided for anywhere in the world,” Steve said. 

“Well, that seems pointless,” Peter said. 

“Why’s that?” Steve asked. 

“Well, why in the name of all the gods would you turn him down?” Peter asked. “I mean, he gave you a better proposal than anyone else, and that was just him asking permission to court you. He has this huge palace, as much food as you can eat, and have an amazing alpha to take care of you and has already said that he loves you! What more could you ask for?” 

“You might have a point,” Steve said. “I’m just not sure I know him well enough to spend the rest of my life with him.” 

“Well, that’s what the courtship is for, isn’t it?” Peter replied. “And you don’t have to know everything about him, just enough that you know he’ll treat you right and that you like him.” 

“Fair enough,” Steve said. The blush was back though. Peter looked up at his friend. Steve was a few years older than him, but Peter had never recalled a single moment when Steve had blushed over an alpha. Now, he’d done it twice in the same conversation. 

“Okay, now will you tell me what you did that’s got you in such a state?” Peter asked. “You keep blushing, so don’t deny it.”

“Um… well…” Steve said. 

_I knew it_ , Peter thought. He waited as Steve cleared his throat. 

“He… pinned me to the wall… in the entrance,” Steve said. Peter gasped. “And he kissed me.” 

“Oh my gods,” Peter gasped again. “What next?” 

“He… he sucked on my neck,” Steve said. He turned his neck and Peter saw a large, purple bruise fresh enough that it hadn’t darkened completely. Peter raised his eyebrows at the sight. “And then he… he jacked me off.” 

“Shut. Up!” Peter cried. Steve nodded and Peter practically squealed with delight. “Oh my gods, I can’t believe it! And here you are, moaning about not knowing him well, but you’ve let him touch you already! He made you come!” 

“Well… yes,” Steve said. 

“You’re staying,” Peter declared. “You have to. If you don’t, you’re an idiot and I’m going to bring you back.” 

Steve laughed. “Okay, I get it,” he said. “You ready to get out or what?” 

“Are you kidding? I’m staying here where the water’s still warm,” Peter said. “You go, I’ll be out in a while.” 

Steve got up and walked out of the room. Peter sighed and splashed a bit of the water as he looked up at the ceiling. There were windows of some sort in the ceiling that provided enough light for him to see clearly. His thoughts turned to Bucky again. He was a little jealous of Steve. Thor had come looking for him, to court him. Bucky came just to bring Peter and his aunt to Steve. Peter couldn’t deny the attraction he felt. Bucky was tall, with broad shoulders, strong muscles, and the tattoos were, of course, gorgeous. 

Maybe he could figure something out. If what Steve said about how different things were here were true, maybe it wouldn’t be strange for Peter to be the one to express interest. Of course, there was a part of him that reminded him that he’d only seen two dragons so far. Maybe he’d find one that was more attractive. 

It was possible, but there was still the part of him that insisted on Bucky. He leaned back in the warm water. 

_Only one way to find out_ , he thought.

* * *

Thankfully, there were a pair of servants that appeared with enough clothes to fill May and Peter’s wardrobes. Peter had chosen the light blue room. It reminded him of Bucky, after all. He also chose a set of clothes that were the same colors as Bucky’s tattoos. Black and gold weren’t the sort of colors that he had normally, but the clothes fit well and Peter spent a long time looking in the mirror checking to see if he’d gotten it right. 

Steve led them to the dining room. It was just how Steve had described it, but Peter didn’t much care about it. There was a small mountain of food in the middle and he hadn’t eaten since the night Steve was taken from them. Two days without food made anyone eager to eat. 

However, he made himself stop. At one end of the table was Bucky and his eyes were focused on him. Not Steve, not May, on Peter. Steve walked over and sat next to Thor, who smiled down at him, but Bucky didn’t so much as glance at him. 

“We’re so glad you could join us,” Thor said. “I trust the accommodations are satisfactory?” 

“Very satisfactory,” May said. Peter nearly jumped when she answered, but he nodded with a smile. 

“Excellent, I am glad that you’re all comfortable,” Thor said. “I would hate for my intended’s friends to be treated with less hospitality than he.” 

Peter smiled. He felt something to his right and he looked. Bucky was still focused on him, his eyes scanning Peter’s body with shocking intensity. Peter blushed and shifted uncomfortably. 

“Do I… do I offend you?” he asked. 

“NO!” Bucky said. Then he cleared his throat and looked away with a frustrated growl. His wings flapped quickly, earning him a look from Thor. "You couldn't offend me, Peter. I was just... surprised. You look well." 

Thor glanced at Peter and a look of understanding crossed his face. He said something to Bucky in their language. Peter looked at Steve, who just shrugged. The exchange lasted a few minutes before Bucky made a strange rumbling sound. It was similar to that of humans, but deeper, more guttural, and animalistic. Peter felt a tingle run up his spine at the sound. Then, to his shock, Bucky rose and moved next to Peter. May had no greater insight. She seemed like she was focused on the food, but Peter knew she probably noticed everything. 

"Please allow me to assist you if you have any questions," Bucky said. He stretched his wings out and Peter felt the one nearest to him brush against his back. 

"I think I'm too hungry to be curious, but thank you," Peter said with a smile. He stroked the membrane of Bucky's wing and Bucky made a softer version of the sound he directed toward Thor. It almost sounded like a purr. Peter's smile grew until his stomach rumbled loudly. 

"Please eat," Bucky said. "I imagine it was a difficult journey for you."

"Well, having the ground so far below you will do that," Peter said. "Though I guess it's not quite as frightening to dragons." 

"You get used to it after a while," Bucky agreed with a chuckle. 

"At least you knew what you were getting into," Steve said. "I didn't even get a bit of warning before I was in the sky." 

"You knew I was about to take you, surely," Thor said. "What did you think would happen?"

"Certainly not this, but I'm not complaining," Steve said.

"I must apologize for the roughness," Bucky said. "Perhaps the next time we fly together, there will be time to prepare so the experience is gentler." 

"I think I'd like that, thank you," Peter replied. He stroked Bucky's wing again. He loved smooth and soft it was. It was like the time a merchant actually had velvet in stock and Peter had stolen a chance to touch it before the man swatted him with a switch. Yet Peter knew somehow that these wings, though pleasing to touch, were quite strong. Enough to pick Bucky and others off the ground and launch them into the sky. Bucky purred again and ruffled his wings. He turned away and began digging into the food with surprising gusto, his wings tucked closer to his body. 

Peter picked up the metal utensils and dug in. There was no point in going hungry while he waited for Bucky to explain his reaction. He just hoped that he really hadn’t caused some kind of offense. 

Steve didn’t move at all. Instead, to Peter’s shock, Thor provided him with food. He pressed each morsel to Steve’s mouth. Steve seemed a little embarrassed at having an audience, but he opened his mouth each time Thor presented food to him. Sometimes he indicated food that he particularly liked or didn’t like. He tended towards meats and breads, as usual. Steve always preferred such food, though he would eat anything without complaint. 

Peter focused on the fruit. The meat was delicious and savory, but the fruit was something that truly interested him. Maybe it was the part of him that used to sell such things. Maybe he just found the appearance, scent, and taste of the exotic fruits appealing. They were all beautiful. There was one that cut into yellow cubes. It tasted sweet and tangy and it quickly became his favorite. Then there was a brown fruit, but it was bright green when he cut into it. He didn’t know what any of it was, but it was all delicious. He ate until he felt like he was bursting. 

The door opened and a tall dragon with blue wings strode in. He was dressed in black and green robes and he glared at Thor as he entered. 

“Am I to understand that you did not wait for me to begin dinner?” he asked. 

“I sent you word of when it would be served,” Thor replied indifferently. “If you chose to come late, that is hardly my fault. We have hungry guests who ought not be kept waiting for you.” 

The new dragon growled. Thor growled back. Peter shrank away at the feeling of two alphas being territorial. It was like two alley cats sizing each other up before a fight. Bucky didn’t growl, but he did glare at the newcomer. He crouched as though he was ready to spring into action, his body coiled and powerful. 

“If you are still weary from your travels, leave,” Thor said. “I will not have you insulting our guests because of your moods.” 

“I am a member of your family,” Loki said. “I will not be treated as though I were 1200 by you.” 

“Then do not act like you are 1200,” Thor said. “I am the head of the household now, and I am not inclined to entertain your moods and tantrums. If you are displeased, you may feel free to challenge me.” 

Loki growled again, but backed down. He stalked away and sat at the end of the table. It was a fair distance from everyone else, but Thor paid him no mind. Peter did his best to do the same, but this alpha’s antagonism towards Thor made him nervous. Bucky, thankfully, returned his wing to drape around Peter's shoulders. Peter glanced at him and smiled again. He could get used to being protected like this. It was a welcome change from the way alphas in Red Hook had treated them. He focused on nibbling bits of fruit, hoping that the sweet, tangy flavor would also help ease his nerves a bit. 

Maybe he could ask Steve about it later, if he’d seen this Loki before. Nothing could be done about it now, though. A few minutes later, Steve stopped eating and Thor kissed him on the head. 

“Why don’t you take your friends back to your suite, love?” Thor asked. “I’m sure they’ve had a long day.” 

Steve glanced between Thor, Loki, and Bucky before he looked at Peter and May. He nodded and stood up. Peter got up eagerly and followed Steve out of the room. May threw her arm around Peter’s shoulder protectively and Peter walked closer to her. He took comfort in her calm, beta scent. None of them said anything on the way back to the suite. Peter couldn’t get the smell out of his nose. It was like alphas getting ready to fight, but about a hundred times worse. Maybe it was the fact that they were dragons or something. Either way, Peter didn’t relax until they were back in the suite. 

“Is dinner always that exciting?” May asked. 

“No, actually, it’s not,” Steve said. “I’ve never seen Loki before today, though, so maybe it used to be and I just had the good fortune to be here at the right time.” 

“Let’s hope that it doesn’t last too long,” Peter said. “I’d like to be able to eat without worrying whether we need to run for our lives again.” 

“I don’t blame you,” Steve said. “I’m sorry it was like that.”

“Don’t worry too much about it,” May said. “Let’s just get some rest. I don’t know about you boys, but I’ve had quite enough excitement for one day.” 

“You need help finding your room again?” Steve asked. 

“No, I’ll be fine. You two have fun,” she said.

Steve and Peter ended up cuddling on the couch together. Peter was the small spoon for once, burying his face in Steve’s neck. Steve’s omega scent always smelled so nice. He wondered why he’d gotten so many proposals back home. Part of it was probably because of his scent. It was sweet and soothing to Peter, which meant alphas probably thought it was extremely enticing. 

“I’m sorry,” Steve said. 

“It’s okay,” Peter replied. “You didn’t know dinner would be like that.” 

“No, I meant… for leaving you two alone,” Steve replied. Peter blinked, then laughed into Steve’s neck. 

“You’re an idiot,” Peter said. “Unless you planned to be dragged out of the house by Rumlow’s guards.” 

“I mean, you still had to fend for yourselves,” Steve said. “It couldn’t have been easy.” 

“It wasn’t but it wasn’t like we had time to get to the point where the supplies had run out,” Peter replied. “We took as much food as we could carry and we had your bow and the quiver of arrows. We would’ve been fine for a while.” 

“Can’t imagine Bucky arriving was any comfort,” Steve said. 

“Well, you’re not wrong there,” Peter said. “He landed almost right in front of us. He had to transform before we would listen.” 

“Really?” Steve asked. 

“Well, I may have shot him once he did,” Peter said. 

“By the gods!” Steve laughed. “What did he do?” 

“He growled and dodged, but it was way off course,” Peter said. “Then he raised his hands and explained himself.” 

“How long did it take to convince you?” Steve asked. 

“To be honest, it wasn’t really that convincing,” Peter said. “I was half convinced that we were going to be eaten before I saw you when we arrived.” 

“Why did you agree, then?” Steve asked. 

“I figured it was the best way to find you,” Peter said. “If there was a way to save you, I thought it was worth it.” 

“I’m flattered,” Steve said. 

“Yeah, you’d better be,” Peter said. “I never want to fly like that ever again.” 

“I don’t think I’d mind,” Steve said. “As long as I had a better way of traveling. Dangling in Thor’s hand was not comfortable at all.” 

“I agree, but at least Aunt May was there, too," Peter said. "If it was just me, it would've been even more terrifying.” 

They laughed together for a while. They started talking about their lives back home and how everyone would react to where they were now. They joked about the priests and the kids who caused trouble and the local gossips. It was easy and familiar, and at the same time, completely different. 

“It sorta feels like a dream, doesn’t it?” Peter asked. 

“Yeah, it does,” Steve said. “As much as I enjoy the feeling, I keep expecting to wake up.” 

“Think we will?” Peter asked. 

“Gods, I hope not,” Steve muttered. “Even if I don’t end up with Thor, this is still a better place to live than any place I’ve been.” 

“Do you really think you won’t?” Peter asked. “I mean, really? You would let that kind of opportunity pass you by? You’d walk away?” 

“I’ve never considered being with an alpha before,” Steve said. 

“Before, your best option was Rumlow, if you didn’t mind the smell, or the cobbler’s son, if you didn’t mind his trying to sleep with every omega and beta in the village,” Peter replied. “This is Thor! A king! A dragon! The King of dragons! Can you honestly say that you could even imagine a better prospect?” 

Steve didn’t say anything and Peter smiled in triumph. 

“Do yourself a favor and stop being so damn dramatic,” Peter said. “Just enjoy this. He seems like a good alpha, if how he was at dinner before Loki showed up is any indication.” 

“Okay,” Steve chuckled. “And he is.” 

"Besides, I saw the way you two were acting at dinner," Peter said. "You're hooked and you know it." 

"The way _I_ was acting?" Steve asked. "You weren't any better with Bucky, if I recall." 

"Well, what can I say?" Peter asked. "He was there and protective and I liked it. What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing," Steve said with a sly grin. "As long as he treats you right." 

"You'll be the first to know if he doesn't," Peter replied. 

Peter smiled and closed his eyes. The weariness of the day was catching up to him and as much as he enjoyed being with his friend again, it was hard to stay awake. He groaned and pushed himself off Steve. 

“I need to sleep,” Peter said. 

“You want to sleep in my room?” Steve asked. Peter smiled and nodded sleepily as he yawned. Steve got up and threw an arm around Peter’s shoulders. Peter leaned on him as he let Steve lead him to the rooms. If he were more awake, he might’ve marveled more at how big it all was, or at how a gleaming half-moon shone through the balcony they passed through. 

There would be time for that later. Steve opened the door to his room somehow and helped Peter out of his clothes so he could sleep comfortably. Peter lazily arranged the pillows in a way that he deemed comfortable. There were lots of them and they were ideal for nesting. He fell asleep faster than he ever had in his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos give me life, y'all!
> 
> Come follow me on [tumblr](https://leisurelypanda.tumblr.com/) for various fandom related nonsense! <3


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a bit of a housekeeping issue: the bit in chapter 3 where Thor breathes a bit of fire has been changed so that he breathes lightning because it felt too weird to have a version of Thor where he wasn't doing something with lightning.

Peter awoke the next morning and groaned immediately. He was covered in sweat, the blankets felt hot and sticky and they clung to his skin. He whined and kicked them off with some difficulty. The air was cool, but not cool enough to calm his heated skin. 

Someone applied a cool, damp cloth to his head. He opened his eyes to see Steve and May looking down at him. Aunt May was dabbing his head with the cloth with a tender, loving look in her eyes. He whined again as he looked up at her. 

“What’s going on?” Peter asked. 

“You’re in heat, dear,” Aunt May replied. 

“No, no I can’t be,” Peter said. “It’s too soon, too soon.” 

“I know,” she said. “It’s going to be okay, love.” 

“No, s-someone needs to go to the store,” Peter moaned. “The villagers—”

“We’re not in Red Hook,” Steve said softly. “Remember? Bucky, the dragon, he brought you here yesterday. You’re in the Forbidden Mountains.” 

“Oh. Shit,” Peter groaned. 

“It’s going to be okay, Peter,” Steve said. “I’ll have Thor send someone to provide food for you. Does that sound good?” 

Peter whined again but said yes. This heat seemed different from others. Normally, he could tell when he was about to have a heat. He started feeling feverish days before. He would get irritable and needy and he would start nesting more often. This time, all he’d done was cuddle with Steve and do a little bit of nesting before bed. That wasn’t even more than how it normally was. He and Steve comforted each other all the time when life was stressful and nesting before bed was about as odd as washing up before supper. 

“W-What time is it?” Peter asked. 

“It’s about an hour after sunrise,” Steve said. He stood up from the bed. “I’ll go see if I can intercept whoever is bringing breakfast. It wouldn’t do to have alphas barging in when an omega’s in heat.” 

“Good, I’ll stay here,” May said. 

“Alpha,” Peter whined. “Need an alpha.” 

“I’m sorry, love, but there is no alpha,” May said. She pressed the cool cloth to his head again. “Just try and rest. Hopefully it’ll all be over soon.”

* * *

Steve hoped that he didn’t smell like Peter’s heat scent when he left the room. In all likelihood, he did, considering that Peter had smelled like that when Steve awoke. It was all Steve could do to get out of the room and dash to wake up Peter’s aunt. None of them were prepared for a heat, but they seemed to be managing for now. 

It was only as he was leaving his suite that he realized that he didn’t know where Thor’s quarters were. He also didn’t know where the servants could be found to find out. He simply walked down the tunnels in the direction he was familiar with. With any luck, he would find someone who could help him. 

The tunnels were darker in than the suite. The suite had windows and skylights to let in an abundant supply of natural light. The tunnels had no such advantage, but there were a great many torches that never seemed to fade or burn out. It had to be some kind of magic that kept them burning, especially since they illuminated the tunnels so easily. The fire definitely seemed to burn brighter than any Steve had ever seen. 

He pushed the curious thoughts from his mind. They could wait until Peter was situated and cared for. If this had happened in Red Hook, they would’ve needed to raid the store and Steve would’ve needed to go hunting for food. Heats burned through a great deal of energy, which meant that omegas tended to eat and sleep more when they weren’t awake. Heat rations tended to be gathered the week before so that everything was prepared. 

The perk of living in a castle was that there was plenty of food. The downside was that Steve didn’t know where any of it was. He turned at the fork that headed towards the dining room. As he walked inside, he found Bucky sitting there by himself eating something. 

“It’s Steve, isn’t it?” Bucky asked. “His Highness said you usually take breakfast in your room.” 

“I’ve only been here a couple days and that has been how it’s happened, yes,” Steve said. “Where are the kitchens?” 

“If you’re hungry, I can find some servants,” Bucky said. “I’m sure they can bring you whatever you need.” 

“Whatever works,” Steve said. Bucky frowned. 

“Is something the matter? You seem to be in a great hurry for something like breakfast,” he said. “Dragons tend to be cranky when they’re hungry, but I hadn’t heard that humans could be that way.” 

“It does happen, and yes, I’m in a hurry,” Steve said. “My friend, Peter. He’s in heat.” 

“Oh,” Bucky said. He didn’t seem the least bit phased by it. He simply returned to his food and resumed eating. “Is that all?” 

Steve blinked. “Considering that we weren’t expecting it, I’d say it’s pretty important.” 

“Why doesn’t he just go get food himself?” Bucky asked. “The heat can’t be in full swing already. He was fine yesterday.” 

“It is in full swing already,” Steve growled. Bucky looked up at him with some surprise. “I need to get food for my friend. Can you help me or not?” 

Bucky ruffled his wings before he stood. “I’ll take you to the kitchens. We can tell them what you think your friend would like.” 

Steve settled down. “Thank you.” 

Bucky walked through a door on the far side of the room. It led to a long, sloping corridor that went further down into the mountain. Even with the ease of going down, it took about 20 minutes to get to the next door. Bucky opened it and walked inside. Steve followed closely behind him. What he saw was an enormous room filled with stoves, ovens, and other stations. None of the workers had wings. They were taller than the average human, though, with pointed ears and fair faces. 

One of them approached Bucky and bowed. Bucky said something in a language Steve didn’t recognize. The person replied and Bucky turned to Steve. 

“What kind of food does Peter like?” he asked. Steve thought for a moment. He still hadn’t learned what many of the foods were called. It hadn’t been a huge priority. 

“He liked the fruits from last night,” Steve said eventually. “He also tends to like meat from fowl more than red meat. He also likes candied sweets, if you have them.” 

Bucky spoke to the servant in what Steve assumed was a repetition of what Steve had said. He watched as they conversed before the servant went away. A section of the kitchen began working immediately as Bucky turned to leave. 

“It’s a good thing that Peter isn’t a dragon,” Bucky said. “I’m sure the servants would’ve been more than a little perturbed at having to prepare for a dragon’s heat or rut.” 

“Why? And what are they?” Steve asked. "I thought everyone here was a dragon." 

“Elves,” Bucky said. “Dragons make lousy servants. Too proud and selfish and eager to fight.” 

“I’ve never seen an elf,” Steve said.

“I’m sure many of them haven’t seen a human in hundreds of years,” Bucky replied. “But we should go before Peter begins missing you. One of them will bring something up.” 

“Everything is so different from the stories,” Steve said as they started walking up the corridor again. 

“I shudder to think,” Bucky chuckled. “What do you say about dragons and elves in your stories?”

“Well, they say that you sow destruction wherever you go for one thing,” Steve said. “And they said that elves were fair and graceful rulers, kings of the fair lands beyond the mountains.” 

“Well, they’re not entirely wrong about dragons,” Bucky said. “But we try to keep the destruction to a minimum. As for the elves, well, they definitely look nice, but that’s more out of their vanity. Their pride is nearly equal to that of dragons and they spend most of their time philosophizing than anything else. The only reason their realms don’t fall into disrepair is probably because of their magic.” 

“The things you learn when you meet new people,” Steve said. “One of these days, I suppose I’ll have to learn about the other races so I can separate the facts from the legends.” 

“One of these days,” Bucky agreed. “Don’t feel in too much of a hurry, though. His Highness will likely spend the foreseeable future courting you rather than worrying about your knowledge of the races you’re unlikely to encounter.” 

“What if I want to learn about them?” Steve asked. 

“I’d commend your enthusiasm, but learning about one new culture will be difficult enough without having to learn everything about the others,” Bucky said. “Besides, could you say that humans are all the same?” 

“Of course not,” Steve said. 

“It’s the same for the other races,” Bucky said. “Even dragons are diverse, and we’re the only race that’s united beneath a single ruler.” 

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Steve said. “By the way, you never answered my question about why preparing for a dragon’s cycle would be worse.” 

“Yeah, guess I got sidetracked,” Bucky sighed. “Well, part of the side effect of living so long is that we don’t have our cycles as often. They come once every 10-15 years and… they last for several months.” 

Steve blinked. “Several months???”

“Yes, it’s less a cycle and more of a whole season just for the purpose of mating,” Bucky explained. “Depending on how many dragons have their cycles at the same time, any and all functions in our society may grind to a halt.”

“Does it happen to everyone at once?” Steve asked. 

“No, of course not,” Bucky said. “But it is inconvenient, all the same. It’s why, even though dragons have all the time in the world, we tend to mate young.” 

“Is Thor young?” Steve asked. 

“Comparatively,” Bucky said. “He’s around 2500 years old. He only became a mature dragon a few years ago.” 

“But he said he was a starving babe when we first met 12 years ago!” Steve said. 

“Yes, well, that’s probably something a mistranslation,” Bucky said. “Do you have another word for your species’ young?” 

“Several,” Steve said. “Toddler from around 1.5-4, child from 5-12, teenager from 13-19, and they’re officially considered adults at the age of 21. Peter, for example, only recently reached that age.” 

“Truly? Strange,” Bucky said. “But yes, I suppose Thor would have been considered a… how you say, ‘teenager’ when you met him. He returned a year later and there was a grand ceremony to mark his transition to adulthood.” 

“Is that when he became king?” Steve asked.

“No, that… happened later,” Bucky said. “You should really talk to him about that.” 

Steve stared at Bucky quizzically for a moment. It seemed a strange topic to avoid. Still, there was clearly no use in trying to get more information out of him. They arrived at the floor they started at. Bucky opened the door and they started for the suite. When they arrived, Steve stepped in front of him.

“It’s probably best if you stay here,” he said. 

“Why?” Bucky asked. “Are humans touchy about their heats or something?” 

“We tend to prefer alphas to stay away unless they’ve been invited by the omega,” Steve explained. 

“Then if you ask if I can come and he says yes, can I come in?” he asked. “It would be rude of a host to not ensure the well-being of their guests.” 

“I don’t see anything wrong with it,” Steve said. “But we’ll see.” 

He walked in and hurried to the rooms where he left Peter. The smell had grown stronger. He was outside his room and could clearly smell the sweet, fruity scent of Peter’s heat. It was an intensified version of his usual scent, but Steve never knew what it was. They had nothing like it back home. He opened the door and walked inside. Peter was naked on top of the sheets and he reeked of heat. 

“How is he?” Steve asked. 

“It’s stronger than his usual heats,” May said. “I think I’ve heard of something like this, too. Sometimes, when an omega has been through a time of great stress and upheaval, they’ll go into heat in an attempt to find an alpha to gain some level of stability.” 

“So his body thinks he’s in trouble and is looking for someone to take care of him?” Steve asked. 

“Yes,” May said. “They say that such heats are sudden, and without assistance, they can be longer and more intense than regular heats.” 

“Bucky was wondering if he could check on Peter,” Steve said. “Should I let him in?” 

“Alpha!” Peter whined loudly. He pushed his ass up into a presenting position. Steve was used to helping presenting omegas deal with the symptoms, so it didn’t really bother him. He had to admit, though, that he’d rarely seen Peter so deep in heat, and never this early. 

“Yes, might as well,” she replied. “Maybe just smelling an alpha will be enough to help Peter.” 

“Bucky?” Peter asked. “Did you say Bucky?” 

“Yes, Peter, I did,” Steve said. “Do you want me to bring him here?” 

Peter nodded desperately. “Please, please. Need him, need alpha…” 

“Okay, I’ll bring him here,” Steve said. He stepped out of the room and took a deep breath as soon as he couldn’t smell Peter’s scent anymore. Even the scent was stronger than it usually was. How Peter was going to make it through this, he had no idea. 

When he emerged from the suite, he found Thor and Bucky talking together. He noticed each of their nostrils flare when he arrived and their eyes dilate. Neither of them reacted any more than that, though. Bucky’s wings twitched a bit, but beyond that, there was nothing. 

“Bucky has apprised me of the situation,” Thor said. “How is your friend?” 

“He’s in rough shape,” Steve said. “If I were home, I could brew him something to help with the symptoms, but I don’t have any of my herbs with me.” 

“We have our own herbalists,” Thor said. “I will have them brew something for him.” 

“Thank you, Thor,” Steve said. He looked at Bucky. “May said you could go see him, though be prepared. It’s apparently more intense than usual.” 

“Thank you,” Bucky said. Without even looking to Thor for permission, he opened the door and walked in. Steve sighed and leaned back against the door. 

“If Peter requires it, they can also brew a potion to prevent him from conceiving,” Thor said. 

“That might be for the best,” Steve said. “I’m not sure about your alphas, but among humans, this kind of intensity would test the most disciplined alphas.” 

“Dragons are less lax regarding sex than humans, I think,” Thor said. “Still, Bucky is an honorable dragon. He will not do anything without Peter’s or his aunt’s consent.” 

“That’s comforting,” Steve said. He stepped closer to Thor and laid his head against Thor’s chest. The morning was starting to get to him. Waking up to his friend’s heat was hardly how he preferred to start his days. Thor wrapped his arms around him. 

“You seem tired,” Thor said. “You have been up for some time?” 

“Since about an hour before dawn,” Steve replied. 

“Would you like sustenance then sleep, or sleep first?” Thor asked. 

“Sleep, please,” Steve sighed into Thor’s chest. “It’s been a busy morning.” 

“Very well, my sweet,” Thor said. 

He scooped Steve up into his arms and started walking away. Soon, though, he began flapping his enormous wings. Steve had enough time to wrap his arms around Thor’s neck before Thor jumped off the ground and began flying through the tunnels. It was much faster than flying and before long, they arrived at a door that was much larger and grander than any Steve had seen elsewhere in the mountain so far. 

“Why don’t you travel like that all the time?” Steve asked. 

“Because flight is much easier when there is wind,” Thor said. “Ideally, the wind and air currents will do most of the work so that our wings tire less quickly.” 

“Huh. I never thought about it that way,” Steve said. 

Thor opened the door and Steve saw a room that was much larger than Steve’s. It was enormous, like much of the rest of the caverns were. There was a noticeable absence of furnishings, at least, of the sort that Steve would recognize. There were instead, enormous pillows and mounds of furs. Thor turned before walking in. The cavern was filled with natural light from dozens of windows in the ceiling. It seemed impossible, just like everything else here. 

“There is something you must know before you enter,” Thor said. Steve looked up at him. “This is not just my wing of the palace. It is also the treasure vault. My hoard lies here, the hoard of the King of Dragons, as well as the hoard that I added to it when I became King.”

“So dragons do keep hoards,” Steve said. 

“Of course we do,” Thor said with amusement. “However, this is very important, so be sure to listen to what I say.”

Steve nodded. 

“You must take nothing from this chamber,” Thor said. “Nothing. Not the smallest bauble or the most ornate crown unless I specifically gift it to you. It would be a great offense, significant enough to call into question my courting you.” 

Steve blinked. “Is courting a human controversial?” Steve asked. 

“Not in and of itself,” Thor said. “But remember that dragons are selfish and territorial creatures. Theft is a very great crime among us, much more so than it is among other races. I say this only so you are aware.” 

“I understand,” Steve said. “I won’t take anything from you, Thor.” 

Thor smiled and caressed Steve’s face. Steve leaned into the touch. Despite what Thor said, he always seemed gentle with Steve. He stepped closer once again and wrapped his arms around Thor’s body. Thor hummed, the rumble vibrating against Steve’s chest lightly. He picked Steve up again and set him down on one of the enormous pillows and draped a large, soft fur blanket over him. Steve curled up and laid his head on his arm. Thor knelt and kissed him.

“Feel free to sleep here,” Thor whispered. “I will go and find someone to take the herbs Peter needs to him. None shall disturb you here.” 

“Thank you,” Steve murmured. He yawned and rolled over on his stomach. His eyes felt heavy and the room smelled pleasantly of Thor. One day, he would find out what it was Thor smelled like and why he liked it so much.

* * *

Steve had no idea how much time passed while he was sleeping. All he knew was that he felt much better, but no less lazy when he woke up. He groaned and rolled over to shield his eyes from the light. It was brighter than before, which meant it must be much later in the day. Steve didn’t care. He inhaled deeply and sighed at Thor’s scent. 

“Are you awake?” Thor asked. 

“No,” Steve said. 

“You have been sleeping for three hours, my sweet,” Thor replied. 

“So?” Steve replied. 

“Are you not hungry?” Thor asked. 

“Not enough to get up,” Steve said. “Now be quiet and cuddle me or something.” 

Thor laughed and a moment later, the blanket was removed so that Thor could move in behind Steve. He was warm and Steve rolled over immediately to scent him. He laid his head against Thor’s shoulder and blinked. Thor was shirtless. He looked down at Thor’s body beneath the blanket. He was entirely nude. 

“Is something wrong?” Thor asked. 

“No!” Steve said quickly. “I’m just… n-not used to being with a naked alpha.” 

“Ah yes, I forgot,” Thor said. “Would you like me to put on some clothes?” 

“T-That’s n-not necessary,” Steve said. 

His face heated as he gazed at Thor’s naked body, the tattoos that cascaded down his arms, chest, and legs. They obscured no detail of Thor’s body. Instead, the accentuated the curve of every muscle, the solid mounds and hills and valleys of Thor’s body. The only part of his body that was devoid of tattoos was his cock, which hung soft, but still thick and heavy, from Thor’s crotch. 

“I thought you were tired,” Thor said. Steve swallowed. 

“I’m not anymore,” he whispered. 

Thor rumbled softly and wrapped his arms around Steve’s body. He leaned down and captured Steve’s mouth in a searing kiss. Thor groaned into the kiss. He bit Steve’s lower lip hard enough to make him gasp. Thor’s tongue pushed in and Steve yielded readily. Even this, the simple kissing, felt a little like being claimed. 

“Mine,” Thor purred as he rolled over on top of Steve. He bent down to suck another mark on Steve’s neck identical to the one he’d placed there yesterday. Steve gasped and whined as Thor sucked and nipped against his skin. His hands rose to tangle his fingers in Thor’s long, golden hair. 

“I like the gifts you give me,” Steve purred. He felt Thor grin against his neck before Thor rose and pulled Steve’s tunic off. He descended on Steve again and kissed his collarbone. 

“May it never be said that I am lax in giving them,” Thor replied, his voice deep and gravelly. 

“I’ve… I’ve never done anything like this,” Steve gasped. 

“You have never lain with anyone?” Thor asked. Steve blushed and looked away. A moment later, Thor pulled his gaze back gently. He leaned down and kissed Steve tenderly. “It is nothing to be ashamed of, little one. Everyone must have their first time with another.” 

Steve leaned up and kissed Thor again. The weight of Thor’s body was immense and oddly comforting. Steve had heard, of course, that having an alpha on top of him like this was pleasurable, but he had never actually believed it. Now, though, with Thor over him like this, his solid, hot body against him, Steve felt safer than he’d ever been, even as Thor’s fangs nipped at his collarbone. 

Thor growled as he slowly kissed down Steve’s body. Steve moaned each time he felt Thor’s fangs snag on his skin, leaving tiny marks to accompany the bruises Thor sucked on his skin. Steve pushed his groin up against Thor’s body and Thor looked up at him with hunger in his eyes. 

“Tell me what you want,” he growled softly. His enormous hands gripped Steve’s hips firmly. The tattoos almost seemed to shine and flash, as though there was a storm trapped beneath the surface, waiting for release. 

“I—I don’t kn-know,” Steve moaned. He arched his back, desperate for release. “Please, Thor… I want… I need…”

Thor made quick work of Steve’s trousers. He unlaced the front and Steve’s cock sprang free, small as it was. Thor pulled his trousers down and tossed them aside. He knelt over Steve’s body and Steve nearly gasped at the sight of Thor’s erect cock. It was long and thick enough that it dangled between his legs even when it was hard. It easily dwarfed Steve’s omega cock and Steve’s brain practically melted at the sight.

“My desire for you cannot be quenched,” Thor growled. He reached down and gripped the base of his cock in one hand. With the other, he gripped Steve’s gently. “Do not doubt that I will find pleasure with you. Whatever it is you want to do, I will help you.” 

“Can I… Can I taste it?” Steve asked. Thor grinned and laid down next to Steve, his legs spread. He maneuvered Steve so that he was laying between his legs with his face near his cock. 

“Slowly,” Thor said. “Lick it first.” 

Steve obeyed. He leaned in and licked the head before he could think otherwise. The pre-come tasted strange, different from how he was expecting. It was hot and a little sweet and salty. He moaned at the taste and licked the head more to chase the taste of the pre-come that dripped freely from the head of Thor’s cock. Steve could feel his own ass dripping with slick. He tried to imagine Thor entering him, fucking him, even… knotting him. He wasn’t sure how it would fit, but damn he was going to find out.

“Good,” Thor moaned. Steve smiled at the praise. “Now put the tip in your mouth, my sweet.” 

Steve did so, sealing his lips around the thick head. He was careful to keep his teeth from scraping against the flesh as he began to bob on the head, sucking and licking it as he went. Thor moaned deeply. He folded his arms behind his head and Steve couldn’t help but admire the way Thor’s biceps bulged. He moaned at the sight and Thor moaned as he pushed his hips up. Steve managed not to gag as Thor’s cock pushed further into his mouth. He braced himself on Thor’s body, with one hand on his stomach and the shimmering tattoos there, and the other at the base of Thor’s cock. 

“Careful,” Thor groaned. “There is no need to choke on my cock on your first time.” 

Steve popped off Thor’s cock and grinned. “That sounds like quitter talk.” 

Thor laughed, a bright, deep sound and Steve sealed his mouth back around the head and sunk down on Thor’s cock until the head reached the back of his mouth. He came up again and moaned around the head, his tongue teasing the bottom of it, before he went back down slowly. 

“That’s it,” Thor moaned. “You are a natural at this, my sweet. You feel so good around my cock.” 

Steve sucked harder on Thor’s cock. He bobbed on it faster and licked up every drop of pre-come greedily. He wondered why he had waited so long and at the same time was immensely glad that Thor was his first. The feeling of having his mouth full of cock was amazing. He reached down and began to stroke himself. He moaned again around Thor’s cock and tried to swallow the head to take more of it. He came off Thor’s cock and coughed. Thor settled him gently and stroked his hair while Steve caught his breath.

“You are determined,” Thor said. “I admire that, but you really do not need to be able to take all of me on the first time.”

“But I want to,” Steve whined. His voice was rough and husky. Thor wiped a bit of drool off Steve’s chin and Steve just began to suckle on Thor’s thumb. He took it all the way down to the knuckle and wrapped his tongue around the callused digit. Thor looked down at him with hunger in his eyes. 

“You are insatiable,” Thor growled softly. He pulled his thumb out of Steve’s mouth and pushed two long, thick fingers in. Steve sucked on them as well, even as they went past the back of his mouth and into his throat. Steve gagged for a bit before Thor pulled them out. “You are a natural, but even you need to train yourself not to gag.”

“Challenge accepted,” Steve said. Thor smiled and leaned down to kiss him. 

“I admire your tenacity, little one,” Thor said. He leaned back again. “I will not stop you.” 

Steve returned to Thor’s cock and wrapped his lips around it again. He took as much of it into his mouth as he could and set a quick rhythm. Thor’s grunts and moans encouraged him to keep going. He suckled from the tip as he rose, swirling his tongue around the slit. He wrapped his hand around Thor’s cock as best he could, but his fingers didn’t meet. He jacked the parts he could reach with his mouth as he went down on Thor’s cock again and again. 

“Steve,” Thor groaned. “I’m close. I’m going to come.”

Steve wasn’t sure what to do. He just kept bobbing on Thor’s cock. He sucked harder and faster as he looked at Thor. Thor stared down at him, his eyes dark with arousal. His tattoos seemed to be almost glowing themselves, flashing like lightning that would strike the mountain Red Hook lay beneath. Thor threw his head back, growled loudly, and released a stream of those same jagged lines into the air as his knot popped and he came into Steve’s mouth. They boomed like thunder as they struck the ceiling.

It was hot and slightly sweet on Steve’s tongue. His body felt strange, too, like he was tingling all over from Thor's come. Steve swallowed the load greedily as he tasted it. He suckled the head of Thor’s cock as he came, shooting ropes of hot, thick cum into Steve’s willing mouth. Steve moaned around the head. He marveled at the flame until it went out. Thor’s tattoos seemed to grow dark again as the shimmering died down. His cock, though, was still hard, and Steve milked the last drop of come from it and swallowed. 

“That was amazing,” Steve said. Thor offered a smug smile and Steve climbed up until he was straddling his torso. Thor wiped up a stray bit of come with his finger and Steve sucked it, moaning around the digit. 

“You truly are insatiable,” Thor said with a lustful smile. 

“So?” Steve asked. 

“I did not say it was a problem,” Thor said. “At this rate, I may need to send for herbalists to make you a potion as well.” 

The thought of Thor fucking him properly came to mind then, and Steve moaned as he rutted against Thor’s chiseled stomach. Thor chuckled and hooked his arm around Steve’s waist. 

“Might be here all day,” Steve said. 

“I can think of worse things,” Thor purred. He kissed and sucked on Steve’s neck again and Steve arched against the feeling. Thor’s hands ran down his back and squeezed his ass roughly. “Shall I send for the herbalists?” 

“Might be wise,” Steve gasped. “Just in case.” 

“There is no ‘in case,’” Thor said. “If you consent, I will spend the entire day showing you pleasure such as you’ve never felt before. I will fill you as many times as you like, bring you to climax as often as you wish. I will ravage you until you are completely and utterly spent, ruined.”

Steve gasped as Thor growled and rolled over on top of him. He felt Thor’s massive hand hold him down easily as the dragon king knelt over him like he’d captured a coveted prize. 

“Is this agreeable to you?” Thor asked. 

“Fuck, yes,” Steve groaned. Thor groaned and leaned down to place a searing kiss to Steve’s lips. Then he got up and started walking towards the door. Steve propped himself up on his elbows. “Hey!” 

“I thought you said you wanted the potion from the herbalists,” Thor said with a grin over his shoulder. “As eager as I am to see you filled with my offspring, there are several traditions that must be upheld and they require that you not be pregnant for them. Don’t worry, the potion is potent.” 

Steve felt that he should ask what traditions Thor was talking about. Or at least, why he wasn’t supposed to be pregnant for it. He wasn’t going to complain, though, now that he finally knew what all the fuss about sex was about. He fully intended to take advantage of it. 

Thor took far too much time to return, but when he did, he pulled Steve’s legs apart and settled in between them. He grinned down at Steve as he dragged his hands over Steve’s body. He squeezed Steve’s hips roughly and growled down at him. The tattoos on his skin were already beginning to flicker as Thor’s cock twitched between them. Steve watched it grow to its full, impressive length until he spied movement out of the corner of his eye. 

He looked and there was Pietro. Shockingly, he didn’t seem at all embarrassed by Steve and Thor’s… compromising situation. In fact, he seemed positively gleeful with a spark of mischief in his eyes. Like he was looking forward to something happening that Steve didn’t know about. He approached slowly until Thor growled. He sped up, gave the cup to Thor.

“Have fun, Steve!” Pietro said. “Good practice for the declaration ceremony, am I right?” 

“Get out,” Thor growled. Pietro laughed and ran out of the room, leaving curious sparks in his wake. The heavy door shut behind him and Thor sighed. 

“What was that about?” Steve asked. “What’s this declaration ceremony?” 

Thor sighed again and handed the cup to Steve. Steve took it, but pointedly did not drink. He glared at Thor over the rim. If it was possible for a grown dragon to look sheepish, Thor looked like it now. His wings ruffled restlessly as he cleared his throat. 

“It is one of the traditions I mentioned,” Thor said. “Among dragons, there is a ceremony to announce the intention to court. An alpha finds someone they see as a potential mate and presents them to their community.” 

“What do I have to do? Gain their approval somehow?” Steve asked. 

“Approval is a perk more than anything,” Thor said. “Though for some, it is rather essential. Family that do not approve of one’s choice of mate or who have great concerns can interrupt the ceremony.” 

“What happens then?” Steve asked. 

“Oh, they fight,” Thor said. 

“What?!” Steve cried. 

“How is it that you resolve such things in your culture?” Thor asked. “Are there not alphas who fight over potential mates?”

Steve thought for a moment. He had always considered it somewhat ridiculous to fight someone over their mate. If an omega or beta wasn’t interested in one or neither of the alphas, then it seemed even more ridiculous. Still, it did happen, and Steve had had to patch up more than one bruised alpha or beta who had gotten involved in such an affair. 

“Am I expected to fight?” Steve asked. 

“While I have no doubt that you are fierce and mighty in your own right,” Thor said with a smile. “I am afraid that if a dragon omega were interested in me, they would win handily in your current state.” 

“Maybe I should learn how to use magic, then,” Steve muttered to himself. He took a sip of the brew and grimaced at the taste. It was even more bitter than the one he made. “What’s in this?” 

“In truth, I’ve no idea,” Thor said. “I should have warned you that it was bitter, though.” 

“Of course it’s bitter,” Steve said drily. “It’s medicine. It’s supposed to be bitter.” 

“That’s what the healers have always said,” Thor grumbled. 

“Because it’s true,” Steve said. He took another sip and decided it would be better to down it all in one go. He stuck his tongue out in disgust and shook himself. “Now, what am I expected to do during this ceremony?” 

“If someone does challenge me, then you are expected to declare who it is that you favor to win,” Thor said. “As there will be few there who have met you, I suspect that any challenges will be more against me personally than against you.” 

“Why?” Steve asked. 

“My position as king… was hotly contested,” Thor said. “That is all I wish to say about it for now.” 

“What happens then?” Steve asked. 

“Well, then I am expected to have sex with you in front of the gathered community,” Thor said. 

Steve felt his jaw drop as he stared at Thor. “You can’t be serious.” 

“I am,” Thor said. His hands fidgeted and his wings almost seemed to mimic the movement. “It is how we do things.” 

“Why?” Steve asked. 

“So that there is no confusion about where two people stand,” Thor said. “Courting another dragon’s intended, especially after the ceremony, is considered cowardly. If one develops feelings strong enough to act upon, then that person should have to prove themselves worthy.” 

“What if you lose?” Steve asked. “Will I be handed off to the winner like a prized cow?”

“Of course not,” Thor said. “You will have the ability to refuse the winner, though I do not intend to lose.” 

“I just… in my society, even kissing in public is considered shameful and inappropriate,” Steve said. Thor looked confused. 

“Your people are prudish and repressed, then,” Thor said. “The sight of two dragons mating overhead is considered by many races to be an omen of good luck. The elves, for example, hasten to cast their auguries at such a sight.” 

“Wow…” Steve said. “I have no idea what to think of that.” 

Thor reached out to take Steve’s hand. Steve let him. He set his mug down and began to trace the tattoos on Thor’s hands. He studied the way they swirled and danced up his arm. The light beneath them or in them or whatever it was, had died so that they were merely the normal, beautiful markings. 

“The ceremony for a declaration of intention can only be held under the first new moon of a new season,” Thor said. “The next such instance will not occur for another two and a half months. You have time to make whatever decision you wish.” 

“If I refused to go through with it,” Steve said. “What would that mean for our relationship?” 

“At first, nothing,” Thor said. “However, if we continued to miss such opportunities for a ceremony, people would start to wonder. They might question whether I am serious in my intentions or if you are simply using me for some advantage. One or both of us might be considered a coward and unworthy.” 

“So it’s to protect my reputation as well as yours?” Steve asked. 

“Yes,” Thor said. “I apologize. I said that I would court you in the manner that a human courts another human, but I can see that that was a foolish promise.”

Steve took a deep breath. He took several, actually. Not once, in his entire life, had he ever considered having sex or even being physically affectionate with someone in the sight of others. Now, he was expected to do just that. He got up. 

“I am going to return to my quarters,” Steve said. “I have a lot to think about.” 

Thor looked down at the floor, his shoulders and his wings slumped. Steve felt his heart break. This wasn’t what he’d wanted from today. Steve walked over and sat himself in Thor’s lap. 

“I’m not going to leave,” Steve said. “I’ve already decided that. It’s just… this wasn’t something that I was expecting. Thank you for telling me, though, so I know what’s coming.” 

“I am sorry that it will cause you discomfort,” Thor said. “I truly am.”

“Well, I suppose if you said you would follow my traditions, it’s only right that I try to do the same,” Steve said. “I just… need some time to get used to it.” 

“If I may be of any assistance, please let me know,” Thor said. 

“Now that you mention it, please don’t let Peter’s aunt come,” Steve said. “She’s like a second mother to me and I don’t think either of us would be able to speak to each other if she saw me… like that.” 

“Attendance is totally voluntary, of course,” Thor said. “I will ensure that she is aware of that beforehand.” 

“Thank you,” Steve said. “Now, if it’s all the same to you, I’d like you to carry me back to my quarters now.” 

Thor looked down at him in amusement. “Is that so?” 

“Yes,” Steve said matter-of-factly. “I like the feeling your arms around me.” 

Thor smiled and closed the distance between them to kiss him. This was different from earlier. It wasn’t passionate or hungry or possessive. Thor was gentle and slow and Steve purred as he kissed Thor back. It was nicer, in a way, to kiss like that instead of the frenzied, sexual way from earlier. Even the way Thor’s arms wrapped around him was gentle. When they separated, Steve kept purring as he laid his head on Thor’s shoulder. 

“Thank you,” Thor said. He stood and Steve wrapped his arms around Thor’s neck as his lover began to carry him out of the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos give me life, y'all!
> 
> Come follow me on [tumblr](https://leisurelypanda.tumblr.com/) for various fandom related nonsense! <3


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Sorry for the brief hiatus, but I was finishing up my last semester of my Master's degree and apparently even in the middle of a pandemic, college is hard. Anyway, I am now a graduate from my program and now I can return to writing with more regularity. And somehow find a job, I guess. 
> 
> Hope y'all enjoy!

Bucky could smell Peter almost as soon as he entered the humans’ quarters. It was faint, at first, but it was clear that there was an omega in heat. The sweet scent of plums and hazelnuts hung in the air like incense in a dwarven temple. Bucky had been to several after Thor became king. The experience was different, to say the least. The dwarves were fond of their smelly smoke. 

This was altogether different though. The dwarves used a combination of scents that ultimately became mildly unpleasant or completely intolerable in the more enthusiastic temples. It had Bucky resisting the urge to flap his wings to dissipate the smell around him. 

This, though, this was like a siren’s call. He couldn’t help it as his legs moved towards the scent. He barely even registered the various furnishings or even the view from the balcony as he passed by. As he grew closer, the scent grew stronger and sweeter. He could feel the markings on his body begin to pulse and warm as he approached. 

He’d never reacted like this to an omega in heat in his life. He’d helped a couple through them, sure, but that was before he became Thor’s companion and advisor. How long would he be obliged to help Peter? Human heats were different and it had been many, many years since a human had been seen at court. Now there were three and one was in heat. How long would it last? A month? Longer? Fae had the longest, but that was probably because they were the least fertile of the sentient races. Probably for the best, in all honesty. Fae were as tricky and petty as they were beautiful and charming.

Bucky approached the door to where the smell was originating. The scent was thick in the air and he had to stop himself from barging in. He took several deep breaths in through the mouth before he raised his hand and knocked. A couple minutes later, Peter’s aunt opened the door a crack and glared at him. He swallowed. 

“Ma’am,” Bucky said. 

“Sir,” she replied. 

“I was sent to check on Peter,” he said. “Steve said that it might help.”

“I would hope he said to do more than just check on him,” she said. She stepped back and opened the door fully. Bucky stepped in. The smell was so thick that he could almost taste it. His mouth watered as he turned to gaze at Peter. The young omega was splayed out on the bed, sheets tangled against his skin and clinging to his body, especially the legs. He looked up in a daze at Bucky and rolled over to present. Bucky felt his body thrum at the sight, but he turned to look at May all the same. 

“Ma’am, I was sent to do whatever I could for Peter, but I would like your blessing first,” he said. “Peter is clearly in no position to consent to something, but you know what he would want and need right now.” 

May crossed her arms as she looked between them. Peter began to groan and whimper and the alpha in Bucky itched to take care of him, to soothe his distress. The scent of Peter’s growing distress was beginning to turn the scent in the room sour. May grimaced and nodded. 

“Take care of him,” she said. “Because believe me, if you hurt him in any way, I will kill you.” 

Bucky huffed. “I’m a dragon, ma’am,” he said. “I will not harm him, but your threat is a bold one for one small human.” 

“I don’t care,” she said. “I will find a way. Peter is the most important person in the world to me and I will protect him with everything I have.”

With that, she walked towards the door and left the room. Bucky sighed and shook his head. He could understand the instinct… to an extent… but surely an omega’s guardian would prefer to make their objection known during a declaration of intention ceremony. Maybe humans had a different way of doing things, but he couldn’t imagine what that might be. Settling things in public made more sense. 

Peter whined again and it broke Bucky out of his reverie. He walked over to the edge of the bed. There was a pitcher of water and a bowl of fruit near the bed. More would certainly be coming later, along with a potion to protect against conceiving. Right now, though, Peter was in distress and Bucky needed to do something. He poured some water into the glass on the nightstand. 

“Here,” he said. He held the glass up to Peter. “Drink this.” 

“Alpha…” Peter whined. 

“I know it hurts,” Bucky murmured gently. “But you need to drink for me.” 

Peter obeyed. His legs went limp and he rolled over from his presenting position to lie on his back. Bucky helped him sit up and Peter downed the glass in one go. Bucky stroked Peter’s sweat-slick hair gently as Peter slumped against him. 

“Bucky?” Peter asked. 

“Yes?”

“Will you help me?” Peter asked. “I mean, it’s okay if you d-don’t w-want to, but… gods, I feel terrible.” 

“I will, sweetheart,” Bucky murmured. He didn’t know where the endearment came from. It felt natural, though, and Peter purred lightly against him at it. Bucky stroked Peter’s strange, smooth back. His fingers grazed over where wings should be, where muscle and sinew should rise up and lead to another pair of limbs. The skin was smooth and soft as silk, though much more damp. 

Peter whined again and squirmed against Bucky’s body. Bucky could smell Peter’s slick. The scent of it sharpened like opening an oven door while pies were cooking. 

“Alpha, please,” Peter whined. “Please help me. Don’t wanna be empty no more…” 

Bucky growled lightly. “Soon, omega. Soon,” he said. “We have to wait for your medicine first.” 

“Tell that asshole, Steve, to shove that medicine up his ass!” Peter growled. “Don’t want it!”

Bucky almost laughed. The image was entertaining if nothing else. 

“Can’t do that, sweetheart, you need to take your medicine,” Bucky said. “You can be good for me, right?” 

Peter groaned, but he nodded. At least the human was cooperative. The last time Bucky helped an omega through their heat they were much less pliant and a lot more demanding. Of course, they were a dragon, and dragons were usually stubborn and demanding at the best of times. 

Still, there were options while they waited. Bucky knelt up on the bed and unlaced his trousers. His cock sprang free, long and hard and Peter’s gaze immediately fell to look at it. He looked confused as Bucky crawled towards him and adjusted him until Peter was facing Bucky’s crotch. He looked up at Bucky through lidded eyes. They were glazed over from the heat and the pupils were almost totally dilated. Peter whined as he instinctively approached Bucky’s cock and wrapped his lips around the head. 

“Good boy,” Bucky groaned. 

Peter bobbed a bit clumsily on the head, but he sucked it eagerly. Bucky sighed at the feeling. It had probably been years since he’d had sex. He’d spent the last several cycles alone, with none to comfort his insatiable lust but his own efforts. 

He’d questioned what Thor was thinking in finding a human as a mate. Peter, though, Peter made Bucky realize how wrong he was. He was beautiful as a fae, but infinitely sweeter and less dangerous. 

Peter moaned around the head and Bucky had to stop himself from thrusting into the human’s mouth. Peter was clearly lacking in experience. The last thing he needed was Bucky fucking his throat, no matter how much the thought appealed to Bucky. The way Peter’s eyes flitted shut as he sucked the head of Bucky’s cock like it was sweet candy was simply gorgeous. 

Every now and then, Peter would open his eyes to look up at Bucky. His stunning brown eyes were almost black, glassy and shimmering from the hormones that coursed through his body. Peter’s body trembled as he popped off, though he still licked at Bucky’s head delicately. 

“Please,” he sighed. “Please, alpha… help me… feel so empty.” 

“I will,” Bucky growled softly. “Sweet omega, but we must wait a while longer.” 

Peter groaned and looked up at him with a pout that was wrenched Bucky’s heart. Did the human know what he looked like when he pouted like this? Was he simply too far gone to care? The second seemed more likely, considering the circumstances. 

“You need your medicine,” Bucky said. He swallowed around the lump in his throat so he wouldn’t sound gruff, though part of him couldn’t help it. His cock was hard and his clothes were beginning to feel far too hot. 

“Where is it?” Peter asked. 

He rolled over and crossed his arms with a grimace that was too adorable for words. Bucky leaned down and covered Peter’s body with his own before he kissed Peter. Peter yielded almost immediately, his arms wrapped around Bucky’s neck and clung to his shoulders. His legs wrapped around Bucky’s waist, silently but desperately begging for the thing that would settle his hormones and his discomfort. 

Still, at least Peter wasn’t a dragon. Dragon omegas tended to become violent if their heats were unfulfilled. Alphas could be the same way if their ruts were unsatisfied, but the omegas were another story. Bucky wasn’t familiar with the lore and legends of all sentient races, but he imagined more than a few were inspired by dragon omegas looking for an alpha while they were in heat. 

Peter’s tendency to stay in bed and suggestibility was about as different from what Bucky had come to expect as he could possibly get. Not that Bucky was complaining. 

There was a knock at the door and Peter darted under the covers as soon as Bucky told them to enter. That made even less sense. He was in heat. Wasn’t he hot? What was the point of blankets and sheets during a time like this?

An elf servant entered the room, took one look at the scene, and shrugged. She left the two vials of medicine on the nightstand. 

“This one,” she said, indicating a vial with a suspiciously green substance. “Is to prevent conception. He’ll need to take this once a day.” 

“I’m sure he’ll enjoy that,” Bucky said. “And the other one?” 

“This is to help moderate the symptoms,” she replied. The potion in this vial was blue. There was so little of it, Bucky almost sent the servant back. 

“Is there enough?” Bucky asked. 

“Yes,” she said. “But he should have another dose tonight before he goes to bed. That one will have something to help him sleep through the night.” 

“Makes sense,” Bucky said. “What symptoms does it help?”

“It should help with the fever and the cramps, but it won’t do anything for the sex drive,” she said. “There’s not much to be done about that. Hope you’re ready.” 

“I think I’ll be fine,” Bucky huffed in offense. “Bring fresh fruit and candied nuts. He’ll need to keep up his strength.” 

“Of course, my lord,” she said. She turned gracefully on her heel and left. Bucky picked up the first vial and shook Peter gently. 

“Come, sweet omega,” he crooned. “Your medicine is here, and then I’ll fill you up good and proper.” 

Peter peeked out from under the covers. He grimaced as he saw the vial but sat up anyway. He downed the vial in one go and tossed it aside as his face screwed up in protest. 

“That’s the most disgusting thing I’ve ever tasted!” he declared. “Gods, I think I prefer Steve’s.” 

“There’s more, unfortunately,” Bucky said. He picked up the second vial. “This one will help you feel less shitty.” 

“Thank the gods,” Peter groaned. He downed that one, too, but from the look on his face, it didn’t taste any better. Bucky set the vials back on the table and flipped Peter over. 

“Now then,” Bucky growled softly. “Let’s see what we can do about this.” 

He crouched down behind Peter and licked a stripe across his hole. Peter yelped in surprise but the sound soon turned to moaning as Bucky licked up the slick that had collected around the hole greedily. It tasted the way peter smelled. Plums and hazelnuts. Bucky shoved his face between Peter’s cheeks and began to suck nip at his hole. 

Peter moaned loudly at the feeling, but he pushed back against Bucky’s face. Bucky gripped Peter’s hips roughly and growled. He could feel Peter trembling in his hands, the small human desperate and needy in his grip. Bucky paid him no mind. He was far stronger than Peter and he could keep the human still while he enjoyed Peter’s delicious slick. 

“Ah, alpha,” Peter whined. “Please, ah, I-I…” 

Bucky sucked harder, he thrusted his tongue into Peter’s ass as he lapped against Peter’s ass. It was the sweetest tasting thing he’d ever tasted, and certainly the most enticing slick. He could spend days just licking up Peter’s slick. 

Peter cried out and jerked beneath Bucky’s grip as he came. Slick burst out of Peter’s ass onto Bucky’s face as he moaned and shook with the force of his orgasm. Bucky growled softly as he stroked Peter’s back. 

“That’s it,” he murmured. “Good boy. Does that feel good?” 

Peter only nodded limply as he relaxed against Bucky’s hand. Bucky knelt up and shucked his trousers to the floor. He gripped his cock at the base and pressed it to Peter’s ass. 

“Are you ready?” Bucky murmured. 

“Please,” Peter moaned. “Please, alpha. Need it.” 

“I know you do, sweetheart,” Bucky murmured. 

He pushed into Peter’s body. Peter moaned as Bucky pushed, slowly but firmly, his cock into Peter’s ass. The human was so hot and tight around him. His grip on Peter’s hips tightened as he continued to push in. It had been ages since he was with a virgin, and never with one that was human. Were they all like this? Steve would surely not walk straight for a week once he and Thor had sex. Maybe he would never walk straight again. 

The image of Peter noticeably limping came to mind. Bucky growled at the thought of Peter limping, his cheeks flushed as he looked at Bucky, come, perhaps, still leaking from his ass. Knowing that he had done that, that he had staked a claim, however temporary on the human omega… it made his blood burn, the frost in his veins burning as the possessive urge arose. 

He could do it. He could court the omega boy. Thor was courting the other one, Steve. Perhaps Peter would consent to be courted as well. 

Later, he thought. He pushed his cock in until his hips were flush against Peter’s supple ass. Peter released a satisfied sigh, high and needy and full of aching pleasure. Bucky draped his body across Peter’s again, stretching his wings out to steady himself. He kissed along Peter’s neck, sucking as gently as he could on his way up to Peter’s ear. 

“How do you feel, sweetheart?” Bucky asked. 

“Good, oh fuck, so good, alpha,” Peter moaned. “So full, so good, fuck.” 

“Good boy,” Bucky murmured. 

Peter purred happily as Bucky stroked his sides and squeezed around Bucky’s length. How much of it was instinct and how much of it Peter was doing on purpose to please Bucky, he had no idea. In the end, it probably didn’t matter. Whatever Bucky’s intentions were when he walked into the wing of the palace Thor had put the humans, he fully meant to fuck Peter into oblivion. 

He pulled out of Peter’s body slowly. He savored the feeling of Peter’s tight hole as it dragged along the tip of his cock. The young human felt practically heavenly, like the first time Bucky had gone into the sky and flown on his own, the wind captured in his wings. Or the first item that Bucky had started collecting items for his hoard, how satisfying it was to hide such precious items away from the world for his own, private appreciation. 

When only the head of his cock was left inside Peter’s body, he slammed his hips forward and buried himself inside Peter with one, hard stroke. Peter cried out and squeezed tightly around Bucky’s member and Bucky growled. He began to fuck Peter vigorously, all thought of sweetness and gentleness gone from his mind as peter pushed back against him. Sweet, desperate, wordless pleas fell from Peter’s mouth as Bucky slammed his hips against Peter’s. 

“Alpha,” Peter said brokenly. “Alpha, please, ‘m close…” 

“Come for me, sweetheart,” Bucky growled. A command, rather than giving permission, and as soon as the words left his mouth, Peter somehow tightened even more and came onto the sheets beneath them. Bucky growled again and his knot popped. He growled and groaned, his jaw clenched resolutely to avoid biting Peter as his come filled Peter’s ass. He opened his mouth and a stream of ice hit the back wall near the headboard. 

_Not yet_ , he thought. _But soon._

He panted for some time. His hands were clamped around Peter’s hips like vices. He removed them and saw, with some measure of satisfaction, the beginnings of bruises where his fingers had been on Peter’s creamy, soft skin. Peter was more durable than he looked. That was good. 

“Bucky?” Peter gasped after some time. 

“Yes, sweetheart?” Bucky asked. 

“You’re here? I thought I was dreaming,” Peter said. “That ice… it feels good.” 

“I’m glad,” Bucky said. “And you’re not dreaming. Steve said you might need help.” 

“I don’t remember much,” Peter said. “He was probably right.” 

Peter moved closer to Bucky. Bucky draped Peter’s body with his own and purred as Peter curled against him. He shifted so he could lay comfortably with Peter in his arms. When he looked down to check on him, Peter yawned. 

“Sorry,” Peter said. 

“Don’t worry about it,” Bucky replied. “These things are tiring.” 

“Will you stay with me?” Peter asked. 

“Until your heat is over, I’ll stay,” Bucky said. “Or if you get tired of me.” 

“I don’t think I can,” Peter said with a grin. 

Bucky leaned down and kissed him softly. Peter returned it a little clumsily, but it was to be expected. He was almost asleep, but Bucky still kissed him. Peter’s plump lips, swollen from biting and sweat, felt amazing against his own. Bucky blew a tiny bit of ice against Peter’s heated skin and Peter purred again. 

“That feels nice,” Peter said quietly. A moment later, Bucky heard his breathing steady out. 

He lay there for about an hour. Despite what he had done, he hadn’t exerted himself enough to be truly tired. He slowly extracted himself from Peter’s body and went to find a servant. They would need plenty of food with a fairly steady supply for the next several days. 

_How long do human cycles last, anyway?_ Bucky wondered. _Did Steve tell me?_

No matter what he did, he couldn’t remember the conversation. He remembered answering lots of questions Steve had, but not asking any of his own. He should have thought to do so. Regardless, it was impressive how quickly Steve adapted to life among dragons. The stories Thor told about him were true, it seemed. Steve was fearless. 

Bucky smiled. If Peter was any indication, he was much the same way, but perhaps less sure of himself. They would fit in well, here. 

He found a servant and put in the orders they would need through the month at least. Better safe than sorry. If this was going to last a month, it would give Bucky time to formulate a way to ask Peter to agree to be courted. Human heats were short, after all, or so Steve’s reaction seemed to imply. Bucky would have to come up with something quickly. 

On his way back to the room, he grabbed some more blankets. Maybe it was rude to just take them without asking, but the humans were less particular about that sort of thing. Hopefully. Besides, Peter needed more soft things and the sheets were probably damp now. He could find some more so that when this was all done, he would at least have a clean, soft bed to sleep in. 

He opened the door and walked in. Peter was still sleeping, his mop of unruly curls clung to his damp skin. Bucky bent to blow cool air onto Peter’s skin. As he did, the sweat evaporated off his body in puffy little clouds. Bucky had no idea if it helped, but Peter smiled slightly in his sleep. 

Bucky smiled in turn as he set the linens aside and climbed back into bed. Peter sought him out, probably by some instinct. Some similar instinct made Bucky wrap his body around Peter’s like it was a precious thing to be kept safe and secure. He breathed deeply the sweet, warm scent of plums and hazelnuts. His mind was already starting to plan how he would ask Peter to let Bucky court him. 

It would be a long wait, however long it ended up being.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos give me life, y'all!
> 
> Come follow me on [tumblr](https://leisurelypanda.tumblr.com/) for various fandom related nonsense! <3


	7. Chapter 7

Peter awoke some days later feeling warm and snug. The air in the room felt comfortably cool and a bit of relief flowed through him like a clear stream in the forest. His head was clear, for once. He could think about something other than sex, the need to be fucked and knotted. It was the first time that he’d gone through his cycle and had that need fulfilled. He smiled to himself. Why anyone ever chose to do it alone was beyond him now. 

He could feel strong arms around him. Peter had never known any alpha could be as strong as Bucky, yet so gentle. The alphas back home liked to show off. They would demonstrate their brutish strength by getting into fights, picking up heavy things, and just getting in the way of doing anything useful. And they would brag loudly about how they could throw an omega over their shoulder and take them home. Peter was never quite sure if that sort of thing was supposed to be appealing or threatening. 

He opened his eyes and was greeted by a pair of blue wings wrapped around him like a cocoon. He was safe and sheltered from the outside world. There was a part of him that was disappointed that his heat seemed to be wearing off, but it wasn’t strong enough to win against the relief he felt at his ability to think clearly. Also, his ass was sore and he wasn’t sure he was capable of going much longer anyway. 

Peter rolled over and tucked his face against Bucky’s chest. He wiggled until he was flush against Bucky’s body. Even now, with Bucky soundly asleep, he felt like the strongest being Peter had ever met.

* * *

The memory of Thor flying away from Red Hook, the enormity of him, was still fresh in Peter’s mind. Without horses or wagons, it would likely take weeks to get to the regional garrison. With a bow and the meager supplies they had taken with them, they probably would be okay, if they tightened their belts. 

Of course, they would need to find some game at some point. Peter had never been as good at hunting as Steve, but he was good enough. If they stuck to the forest and followed the main road, they might be able to find some rabbits or other small game to keep them fed. Anything more than that was beyond them at this point. Taking the time to skin a deer and make jerky out of its meat would cost them valuable time. 

Not that Fort Greene could stand against a dragon if it decided to come back. It was the northern most posting in the kingdom of Brooklyn, and more of a supply post than anything else. There were soldiers garrisoned there, sure, but they was almost never any need for them, so they had a reputation for laziness and causing trouble more than anything. Over time, the area around it became a town of its own and there were sturdy walls around. Walls meant for human enemies. 

A dragon would make short work of them. 

Peter pushed those thoughts from his mind. They could resupply in Fort Greene, possibly even catch a caravan fleeing south, if they were lucky. Luck seemed to be the key factor in all this. If they weren’t, they would have to return to Red Hook, but by the time they got back, someone would likely have taken over his grocery shop and Steve’s house would’ve been looted or burned. 

_No_ , Peter thought glumly. _We can’t turn back now. It isn’t safe._

The biggest cities in Brooklyn were the capital city itself by the same name, Greenpoint, and Canarsie. Brooklyn City was the closest of the three, nestled roughly in the center of the country. It was also the biggest and most defensible, or so the merchants said. High walls manned with powerful weapons that would give any human army pause. It was as much a fortress as a city, a testament from generations of military minded kings determined to survive wars and invasions the sort from which Brooklyn was formed hundreds of years ago. 

The first night on the rough ground was much less idyllic than Peter had imagined adventures being. Somehow the stories always left out how uncomfortable bedrolls were in comparison to a soft bed. Daring heroes and generals never had to bother with such things. Peter slept fitfully the first night, but hoped that would be his biggest complaint by the end of this. 

However, just a couple days later, another dragon flew overhead. Blue. Peter barely had time to draw his bow. It was much smaller than Thor, but still enormous, probably 80 feet in length. A creature of legend and no mistake. The dragon flew around and landed almost right in front of them before it began to glow. Peter didn’t get to see it because Aunt May pushed him behind her. 

The air felt colder as the dragon—or whatever he was now—approached them. Peter peaked over May’s shoulder and saw a very tall, very naked man covered in intricate tattoos too small to tell what they were from this distance. Peter kept his eyes resolutely on the man’s face. 

Long dark waves of hair braided intricately cascaded down until they went past his shoulders. His face was handsome, with a wide mouth and heart shaped lips. He was taller than any man Peter had ever seen in his life, with broad shoulders and strong limbs. The tattoos covered much of his body and Peter found himself staring even though he tried not to. He stopped about 6 feet away from them and bowed politely. 

Most notably, a pair of huge wings emerged from the man’s back, dark blue and veined like a bat’s. They were folded in, but Peter imagined that they would be fully capable of flight if they were fully unfurled. The man looked at them and smiled politely, the curve of his mouth seemed natural and easy and charming. 

“Would you happen to be Peter and May?” he asked. “Someone named Steve asked about you.” 

“How do you know Steve?” Peter demanded without thinking. He came out from behind his aunt, his bow drawn and the arrow pointed directly at the stranger. His smile grew with amusement as he raised his hands. 

“Peace,” he said. “I don’t know Steve. I was told that he asked about you and if you could join him.” 

“Where is he?” Peter demanded. “Where have you taken him?”

“He’s safe,” the man said. “He was taken to a great mountain palace far to the north of what you call the Forbidden Mountains. He is safe and cared for as comfortably as can be expected, but he asked for someone to find his friends and bring them there.” 

“How do we know we can trust you?” May demanded. “What on earth could a dragon want with a human, anyway? No one has seen one for centuries, but now two inside a week? What do you want with us?”

“I personally want nothing,” the man—dragon said. “I have been sent to find you and bring you back. If you choose not to come, then I will return and inform your friend of this. Perhaps he will come himself. Perhaps not. I cannot say. All I can say is that he has come to no harm. If that was what Thor wanted, he could have just as easily destroyed your town rather than leave with a single resident its people offered to him.” 

Peter didn’t relax his bow arm. The dragon didn’t put his hands down. He looked annoyingly confident and relaxed, but somehow different from the way alphas normally seemed like this. He didn’t seem to be condescending towards Peter, for one thing. Maybe he was just that powerful that being at point-blank range wasn’t a concern for him. 

“We need some time to decide,” he said. “Don’t go anywhere.” 

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” the dragon said. He lowered his hands as Peter turned around to face his aunt. 

“What should we do?” he asked. 

“You cannot seriously be thinking of going with him,” May said. 

“Yes!” Peter replied. “If Steve’s in danger, this is the best way to find him.”

“How would we get out?” she asked. “Suppose this… dragon is lying to us? We could be headed into a trap.” 

“We have to try, don’t we?” Peter asked. “If Steve is in danger, no one else is going to try and help him. Think of all the times he’s helped us. We can’t just leave him.” 

May sighed. “Fine, you win,” she said. “I don’t know what we can hope to do, but hope that this dragon is telling the truth and that we aren’t about to bite off more than we can chew.” 

Peter turned back around. The dragon was leaning casually, as though his life hadn’t just been threatened. Maybe it wasn’t. Maybe the bow was really nothing against him, even in this form. Still, the charming smile grew as ice blue eyes fell on Peter’s face again. 

“Well?” he asked. 

“We’ll go with you,” Peter said. “Provided you take us to Steve when we get there.” 

“Certainly, Peter,” the dragon said. “You may call me Bucky, for what it’s worth.” 

“A dragon named Bucky?” Peter asked. 

“My mother gave it to me,” Bucky said. The smile was gone and his eyes were hard. “Got a problem with that?”

“No!” Peter said. “Not at all.” 

“Good.” Bucky began to glow and he grew once more into the massive dragon that he first appeared as. He held out a massive clawed paw. Peter and May climbed carefully into it and he closed it around them gently but firmly before he took off.

* * *

Peter woke up once again as his stomach growled loudly. He groaned at the feeling. Unfortunately, Bucky seemed to hear it, too, and he stirred from his sleep. He opened his eyes and looked down at Peter. Then his cock began to twitch. Peter went from totally calm to blushing as hot as if he were still in heat in the span of about half a second. Bucky grinned down at him and reached to caress Peter’s body. 

“Morning, sweetheart,” he purred. Gods, but the sound was practically heavenly. Peter could feel the vibrations tingle down his back. He arched against Bucky’s body instinctively as Bucky reached down to grip Peter’s hip. Peter shivered at the touch. 

“Bucky,” he whined. Bucky shushed him gently. 

“I’ll give you what you need,” he said. His hand snaked around to Peter’s opening and Peter yelped. Bucky pulled back quickly and looked up into Peter’s face. “What’s wrong?” 

“N-nothing,” Peter said. “T-the heat has j-just passed, I think.” 

“Passed?!” Bucky replied. “It’s only been seven days!” 

“Six days?!” Peter cried. “I’ve never had a heat last that long! Is that normal?”

“Steve said that your symptoms seemed more intense than usual,” Bucky said. “Lying asshole.” 

Peter looked at him and frowned. “I’ve never had a heat last that long,” Peter said. Bucky blinked. He seemed afraid for some reason, though what could possibly make a dragon like Bucky afraid, Peter had no idea. He knew he’d taken some kind of contraceptive. He vividly remembered having to force various potions down daily. 

“How long does it normally last?” Bucky asked. 

“My heats usually last four days,” Peter said. Bucky let out a breath. “How long do dragons’ last?” 

“Months,” Bucky said. “Yours barely seems like a heat.” 

“Well, we have them several times a year,” Peter said. “I doubt you have to worry about something like that.” 

Bucky looked at him and grinned. Peter wasn’t sure if it was meant for him or for Bucky. It was impossible not to know what Bucky’s grin meant, though. It was hunger, desire. His eyes glinted with it. If Peter’s ass wasn’t sore from days of pleasure and sated need, he might indulge himself. 

“So I’ll get to enjoy the pleasure of your need soon, then?” Bucky asked. 

He bent down and nipped Peter’s lips gently, but hard enough that Peter could feel his fangs. He whined and Bucky pulled Peter’s bottom lip before pushing his tongue into Peter’s mouth. Peter yielded readily, savoring the taste of Bucky’s tongue. Bucky rolled over on top of him, his cock erect. Without the haze of heat addling his brains, Peter could see just how big it was. How it ever fit inside him, he wasn’t sure, but he was eager to try again. He remembered that it felt amazing. 

“Does this… are we…?” Peter asked. 

“Are we what?” Bucky asked. He pulled away, hovering just over Peter’s body, his wings outstretched and his powerful thighs and arms braced around Peter’s frame. Peter felt safer than he’d ever been, tucked away from the world with Bucky over him like this. He wrapped his arms around Bucky’s neck. 

“Are we… lovers?” Peter asked. Bucky swallowed and looked into Peter’s eyes.

“I don’t know how you do things in the human world,” he said. “But here… an alpha asks their intended if they would consent to being courted before anything else.” 

“Okay,” Peter said. 

“I can’t make you a queen,” Bucky said softly. “Thor’s the only one who could do that. I can’t even say that I’m from a great family or line. We’re not half as rich as some families. But I promise to treat you like a queen, to provide anything you could want, to make your life warm and comfortable, and to be true to you and no other, if you will consent to let me court you.” 

_Wow_ , Peter thought. _No wonder Steve said yes._

“I consent,” Peter said. Bucky closed the distance between them and kissed Peter with a heat surprising from a dragon who breathed ice and snow. Bucky’s wings seemed to flap of their own volition, as though they meant to fly away with Peter right then and there. 

“Thank you,” Bucky said. He smiled. 

“Thank _you_ ,” Peter said. “I’ve… never had an alpha take care of me like that before.”

Bucky touched their foreheads together. It was quiet for some time. Bucky’s comfortable weight made Peter feel safe and secure in the room. In the back of his mind, he wondered whether this was his room now and whether Steve had been forced to change rooms because of Peter’s heat. Oh well. Peter couldn’t really be bothered with that. 

Suddenly, his stomach rumbled loudly again and Peter groaned. 

“I suppose we should find some food,” Peter said. 

“Some servants will be by soon with breakfast,” Bucky said. “I’ll tell them that your heat has passed.” 

“Thank the gods,” Peter sighed. “Maybe I can get a bath, too. I feel disgusting.” 

Bucky got up and carried Peter to the bathroom. Peter had never been carried anywhere in his life that he could remember. It was nice, though. Bucky was strong and moved with an easy confidence. If this was what he had to look forward to in his courtship, it wouldn’t be so bad.

* * *

The odor of Peter’s heat still lingered in the hall when Steve passed by later that morning. He promptly walked to the nearest window and opened it. Whatever pleasure alphas found in such a scent was beyond him, but then, he was an omega. Some omegas liked it and that was fine, but he wasn’t one of them. 

From the sound of things, though, everything was starting to calm down. Usually when he passed by, he did so quickly to keep himself from overhearing too much. There was a part of him that wondered if he would sound like that when Thor took him for the first time. Or if Thor would sound the way Bucky did. 

With that thought, Steve’s face heated almost immediately. He shook himself off and marched away. He didn’t stop until he was in the sitting room near the entrance of their “suite” as Thor called it. May was already there, sitting primly with a cup of tea in her hands and a tray of food in front of her. Steve plopped down beside her and poured his own cup. 

“I think it’s finally starting to end,” Steve murmured. 

“Thank goodness,” she said. “I was beginning to wonder about him.” 

“Bucky said that a dragon’s cycle can last for months,” Steve said. “I can’t imagine what that would be like.”

“Well, let’s hope that Peter’s heat didn’t spark anything that drastic,” May chuckle. “I don’t think he’s up for that.” 

Steve laughed as well. He still struggled to wrap his head around that. It was true that dragons were much bigger than humans in their true forms. Hell, Thor was practically a giant when he looked more like a human. He was nearly 7 feet tall. Add to that his broad frame and muscled physique and he may as well be a giant compared to Steve. 

“Have you spoken to Thor recently?” May asked. 

“No, I’m still thinking,” Steve said. 

“Steve, I mean this with the greatest possible affection, but what on earth did he say that would cause you to need to think for so long?” May asked. Steve blushed. 

“He… he told me about some of their… traditions when it comes to courting a potential mate,” he said. “One in particular involves being… taken in front of the community. Some notion that in order to prove that they’re serious and to give friends and family the chance to give their approval or disapproval.” 

May blushed herself and looked away. Steve couldn’t blame her. He still had some difficulty thinking about it. 

“Well, are you going to go through with it?” she asked. Steve nodded. “Well then, I’ll be there.” 

“You don’t have to,” Steve said. 

“Oh hush. Your mother would never forgive me if I didn’t speak up as the one person here who’s able to support you,” she said. “I won’t stay for the act itself, but these people will know that you’re not alone here.” 

Steve smiled and allowed himself to be pulled into a hug. It had been some time since he’d felt that, felt someone be like a mother to him. He’d held it bay for so long after his mother died. He was grateful for it now, even if May wasn’t truly his mother. She was gentle and fierce enough to be one, and that was enough for him. 

“Now,” she said. “You’ve kept your beau waiting long enough and you don’t have the excuse of Peter’s heat to stall anymore. Go find him and tell him what you’ve decided.” 

“Yes, ma’am,” Steve said with a grin. 

No sooner had he stepped out than he was struck with déjà vu. Nearly a week ago, he had emerged to find help for his friend and since then, he had only emerged from this wing of the palace a handful of times to eat. Each time, he had seen Thor, but failed to provide an answer. Thor had been quiet and almost sullen. 

Now, though, he was faced with a conundrum. He didn’t know where Thor was. He started watching in the direction he knew led to the dining room. If he couldn’t find Thor, he would just go to Thor’s wing of the palace. He hoped it wouldn’t come to that. He’d rather not come across as that desperate or intrude on someone’s space just to talk to them. 

Still, that left him in the position of having to find Thor. He made his way to the dining room and wasn’t too surprised to find Thor there. He was early and already eating food. Steve found that dragons enjoyed a wide variety of food, but especially meat and fruit. Thor looked up as Steve approached and his wings drooped. He returned his attention to his food. The look lanced Steve’s gut. He shouldn’t have waited so long. 

“Thor,” Steve said. Thor looked up. “I’m sorry.” 

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” Thor said. “I am the one who did not tell you what the process of courting a dragon would entail.” 

“Still, I’ve taken advantage of your hospitality these past few days,” Steve said. “And your kindness. I have an answer for you, and I should have given it to you sooner.” 

“How is your friend?” Thor asked. 

“His heat has broken. Don’t change the subject,” Steve said. Thor smiled a bit and Steve was glad to see it. “I’ll do it. I’ll do everything your people require of me.” 

“You don’t even know half of what that is,” Thor said. 

“It doesn’t matter,” Steve said. He walked up and knelt next to Thor on the pillow by the table. He reached out to take Thor’s hand and held it fast. “I want to be with you. I’m not going to leave you in suspense any longer. I’m not leaving and I’m not afraid.”

Thor looked down into Steve’s eyes. There was such gentle tenderness in his eyes that Steve forgot that he was a dragon who was probably capable of destroying his entire country if the mood struck. The light seemed to return to his eyes and his wings perked up as his lips twitched into a smile. Thor leaned down and kissed Steve gently. 

“Thank you, Steve,” Thor said. “I won’t leave you in suspense, either. I will tell you everything that you can expect.” 

“You make it sound like there’s a lot involved in a courtship,” Steve said. 

“There is, and more so since I am the king,” Thor said. He turned back to the food. “Eat up, I suspect we will be here a while.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos give me life, y'all!
> 
> Come follow me on [tumblr](https://leisurelypanda.tumblr.com/) for various fandom related nonsense! <3


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Holidays! Wow, this took way longer than I expected, but in my defense, 2020 has been hell. 
> 
> Anyway, hope you enjoy it! 
> 
> Here there be lemons ;)

The explanation did, in fact, take a long time. Much of it was shocking to Steve’s standards, mostly due to how… public dragon courtship was. In human society, an alpha might need to get a blessing from the omega’s or beta’s family before courting, but that was the extent of it. There were several times when Steve heard about people having mated and it came as something of a surprise to him. From the sound of it, no such surprises were possible among the dragons.

“So how many public ceremonies are involved in this?” Steve asked at the end. “I’ve lost count.” 

“Seven,” Thor said. “One to declare intent, which will formally begin the relationship, another to assure the court that the relationship will progress, a third to announce the declaration to mate, a fourth to prove fertility, the fifth to finalize the mating ceremony, the mating itself, and finally, the magical ceremony to bind us to one another.” 

“Sounds like… a lot,” Steve replied. “Just the thought of your court watching us mate…” 

“It is necessary for kings,” Thor said. “A normal dragon would simply have four. Only members of the royal family are required to have greater transparency so that the realm can rest easy knowing that the royal line will continue.” 

“Does that mean that… I actually need to have a pup before we mate? As proof that I’m fertile?” Steve asked. Thor smirked as he glanced over Steve’s body. 

“Not unless you want to,” Thor said. “It is not required. I assume that a ‘pup’ is what you call younglings?” 

Steve felt his body flush as he nodded. He had never actually thought about what it would be like to actually talk about pups with an alpha. It was somewhat shocking to have this conversation, to discuss having a pup before he was mated. 

“It’s so different,” Steve said. 

“I am surprised that your people do not have similar customs,” Thor said. “What do they do when there is a dispute regarding a courting couple?” 

“If they’re alphas, they might fight, but that doesn’t mean the omega has to side with the winner,” Steve said. “Usually that happens more with younger alphas just trying to throw their weight around. If they’re betas or omegas, they might just live with it, unless they’re desperate enough to try and seduce their intended partner away from the one they’re courting.” 

“That seems to lack sense to me,” Thor said. “It breeds animosity. Better for such knowledge to be out in the open and for disputes to be settled immediately.” 

“You’re saying there are no shenanigans among the dragons?” Steve asked. 

“Of course they are, but they usually occur when they ought to,” Thor said. “It is part of the reason there are so many ceremonies. If someone decides to try their hand at persuading one member of the couple, it can be done then. To do so at another time would be tantamount to theft.”

“But what if an omega dragon decides they want you?” Steve asked. “Do you expect me to fight them? I would, but I don’t think I would win.” 

“Well, they would only fight you if I returned their interest,” Thor said. “Which I will not do.” 

“So if another alpha expresses interest in me, I can simply deny them?” Steve said. 

“Yes, and if they push their luck, I will fight them with every ounce of my being,” Thor said. He rolled his shoulders and his wings flapped widely, as though to accentuate his size and strength. It made Steve’s mouth dry. 

His tattoos, those glittering red and black tattoos, like flames slithering around Thor’s body, seemed to glow and writhe. Steve couldn’t avert his eyes. Not for the first time did he wonder regarding their significance. They seemed to accentuate his muscles, moving along the lines of Thor’s body. 

“I don’t doubt it,” Steve murmured. Thor grinned confidently. Of course he was confident. He was a king. If he wasn’t confident, it would look like weakness, not that Steve thought that anyone could say that about Thor. 

“As for you, if an omega insists on attempting to sway me, then you may appoint a champion,” Thor said. 

“A champion?” Steve asked. Thor nodded. 

“There is no honor in a dragon challenging someone who is not a dragon,” Thor said. “I will be sure to introduce you to some of the omegas in the court that I trust.” 

“That’s probably for the best,” Steve said. 

“It will be fine,” Thor said. 

“So when does a first ceremony happen?” Steve asked. 

“Declarations of intention occur during a new moon,” Thor said. “Specifically, the first new moon of a season.”

Steve did a quick calculation from what he remembered of the dates. “Autumn will start in about a week and a half.” 

“Yes, and the next new moon is due to arrive on that day,” Thor said. “If you do not wish to have the ceremony then, then we must wait until winter.” 

Steve shook his head. “We’ll do it in autumn.” 

Thor smiled with approval and purred. “I will inform the court,” he said. “Preferably as soon as possible so that they have time to prepare.” 

“I’ll leave you to it then,” Steve said.

* * *

Steve emerged from Thor’s chambers to discover that it was late. The sun had dipped behind far behind the crest of the nearest mountain. The cool air was becoming colder and the various balconies that dotted the halls of the palace were shrouded in shadows. Steve could even see stars winking into existence overhead, where the sky was beginning to shift from deep purple to darkest blue. They were faint, but still definitely real. 

His mind reeled from all that Thor had told him. Some of it was similar to what he had said before. Much of dragons’ courtship rituals were public, it seemed, not just the wedding. Steve had heard one time that the nobles in his kingdom put a new royal couple to bed. As in, they watched the couple mate. At the time, Steve dismissed that as another ridiculous rumor about King Alexander’s court. Now, though… well, even some of the more outrageous rumors about the king seemed tame in comparison to how dragons did things. 

Steve stared up into the sky… waiting. He didn’t really know what he was waiting for. Something, though, kept him rooted in place. Thankfully, the heat inside the palace kept the temperature tolerable enough that Steve only needed a light coat. As the sun continued to set, more and more stars pierced through the night. With no lights from a town or city, they were especially bright. Eventually, he could see the misty trail of stars crossing the middle of the sky, almost directly over the valley before him. 

“Are you well?” came a voice. Steve smiled. 

“I’m fine,” he said. “Just admiring the stars.” 

The next thing Steve knew, he felt Thor’s strong body at his back. He leaned back into it as Thor wrapped his arms around Steve. It felt good. Maybe that should have been strange, considering all that Steve had learned to expect from their courtship. He didn’t care though. It was comforting to feel Thor’s warm body at his back like this. 

“They are beautiful tonight,” Thor said. Steve hummed in agreement. 

“How did it go with the court?” Steve asked. 

“It was uneventful,” Thor said. “They will make preparations and we will have the ceremony as planned.”

Steve hummed and laid his head back against Thor’s body. He let the warmth of Thor’s bulk seep into him. It was soothing. He couldn’t deny having a little bit of nerves regarding the ceremony, even as Thor himself seemed unbothered by it. 

“Do you know anything about those stars there?” Steve asked, pointing at the trail of stars. By now, they were even brighter to the point where they seemed to almost drown out the light of the other stars. 

“The elves are the ones who know most about the stars,” Thor said. “They have entire buildings and structures dedicated to their study, as well as a whole school of magic centered on them. I have always found the stars beautiful, but it seems strange to me to base magic on something so distant.” 

Steve hummed thoughtfully. He had lived with rumors of his being a witch so long that the idea of actual magic didn’t seem half so strange as many of the things he’d seen lately. 

“What brings you here?” Thor asked. 

“I don’t know,” Steve replied honestly. “But I can’t seem to leave.” 

“Sometimes there is magic even in simple beauty,” Thor said. “I felt much the same way when I found you again.” 

“The things you say,” Steve said. He smiled broadly though, and a purr escaped him. Thor just chuckled and tightened his arms around Steve’s body. “My people had a story about those stars in particular.” 

“Oh?” Thor asked. “What kind?” 

“The story says that dragons come from it,” Steve said. “One day, they flew down to earth in a great storm of falling stars. The wind gave them wings to fly, the earth gave them scales to soften the landing, water made them supple and strong so they could learn about the world to which they came, and when the sun rose, it gave them fire so they could defend themselves from the jealous gods.” 

“How strange,” Thor said. “None of that is similar to what our stories say. I think we would remember if we fell from the sky as stars. Most of us don’t even breathe fire.” 

“Would you?” Steve asked. Thor laughed with amusement.

“Unlike your kind, we have long memories,” Thor said. “Sometimes too long, as I’ve said in the past.” 

“So what do your people say about where dragons come from?” Steve asked. 

“I assume you are not talking about younglings,” Thor said. Steve rolled his eyes. He could feel Thor’s humor even now. 

“No, I think I can guess where those come from,” Steve drawled. 

“It is said that dragons come from the earth itself,” Thor said. “Our oldest tales say that mother earth fashioned the first dragons as the last of her creations because the vision she had for our creation was such that she wanted to perfect the art of creating life before she created us. All our gifts come from her.” 

“Do you believe that?” Steve asked. 

“We have never met the earth mother,” Thor said. “Nor have we met the sky father or the ocean parent or any other gods, for that matter. Some other races worship us as gods, and some dragons enjoy that, but we have never collectively claimed divinity.”

“That doesn’t answer the question,” Steve said. Thor was quiet for a long while. 

“I would like to think that if there are any gods out there, that they are watching over us,” Thor said. “Dragons cannot be the height of creation. We are too proud, haughty, and vengeful. I think we can be as foolish as any other race, though perhaps in different ways.” 

“What do you mean by that?” Steve asked. 

“There is a growing coalition of dragons that have decided that they enjoy being deified by the other races,” Thor said. “They argue that we should embrace such a role and rule them, as is our right.” 

“That sounds bad,” Steve said. “You seemed amused when I told you that my town worshipped your father as a god.” 

“I am amused, but other dragons would see it as evidence that even a deceased dragon could receive more respect, and even tribute, from the other races if we decided to establish ourselves as gods,” Thor replied. 

“What would they think of me?” Steve asked. 

“Nothing good, I am certain,” Thor growled lightly. “But it matters not. I do not care about their opinions.”

He bent down to kiss the top of Steve’s head. Steve felt a thrill run through him, as though Thor himself held a storm within him, barely contained through sheer force of will. He reached one hand up to rest on Thor’s forearm and stroked it fondly. 

“You know, my mother had similar views to yours,” he said. 

“I thought your mother did not know that dragons existed,” Thor said. 

“Not about dragons, but about the earth,” Steve replied. “She thought it made more sense to revere the earth rather than gods who never revealed themselves. We kept that to ourselves, obviously, but I always liked it.” 

“Perhaps the earth guided us together, then,” Thor said. 

Steve’s response died as a star streaked across the night sky. Another followed shortly after that, and another. Soon the sky was filled with stars falling in all directions. Steve stood there, mesmerized by the sight. There were more stars than he could count. 

He had no idea how long the display lasted. He and Thor stood there to watch the whole thing, though. The two of them said nothing the whole time. Steve was grateful for Thor’s company. It felt significant, beyond simply keeping Steve warm so he didn’t catch a cold from standing outside. 

“This is like the story you told,” Thor said after a while. Steve nodded. 

“Think they’re dragons?” he asked. Thor scoffed. 

“I still do not think that dragons fall from the heavens,” Thor said. “If we are expecting many more dragons, I would sooner expect a great many younglings to be born in the coming years.” 

“I suppose that does seem more likely,” Steve said. The stars slowly began to taper off until they were gone entirely. With that, Thor yawned loudly. 

“It is late, you should sleep,” he said. “Would you like me to escort you back to your rooms?”

“You’re probably right,” Steve said. “I wouldn’t mind your company.” 

They walked in silence. It seemed appropriate for some reason. Steve couldn’t shake the feeling that something about the stars was significant. Maybe it was the myth he shared with Thor. Maybe it was something else. Regardless, he suddenly felt exhausted. Next to him, Thor’s wings began to droop. Steve looked up at his face just as he let out a massive yawn. How long had they watched the stars?

“Thank you for being there with me tonight,” Steve said. 

“Of course, it was a beautiful sight. I am glad we could share it,” Thor said. He stepped up to the entrance to Steve’s wing of the palace. “Sleep well.” 

“You know,” Steve said. “It seems pretty late. Perhaps you could… join me for tonight instead of walking all the way back to your quarters.” 

“A tempting invitation,” Thor said. He ruffled his wings and his strong, alpha scent hit Steve’s nostrils. Despite how tired he was, Steve could not deny the effect the scent had on him. “And I find I am too weary to resist it.” 

Steve grinned and pulled Thor through the door. As he did, he stood on his toes and pulled Thor’s face down for a kiss. Thor purred against him, thrusting his tongue into Steve’s mouth. Steve yielded readily and relished the taste of his lover. Thor pushed him back until his back hit a couch. Steve gasped and Thor deepened the kiss still. 

“Steve, my love,” Thor murmured. One hand trailed slowly down Steve’s back, the outstretched fingers spread out over nearly the whole thing. Steve felt dwarfed by Thor’s bulk and what was most shocking was how much he loved it. “Tell me what you desire.” 

Steve couldn’t even find it in himself to laugh at the phrasing. He reached up behind him and pulled Thor’s hand down until it was hovering over Steve’s ass. Thor didn’t need to be told. He gripped one side of Steve’s ass in his massive hand and Steve gasped. Thor cut the sound off by sealing his mouth on Steve’s as he pushed into Steve’s wing of the palace. 

All was dark inside. Before Steve could think to light a lamp so they could see, Thor bent down to pick Steve up. Steve acted on instinct and wrapped his legs around Thor’s torso. Then he detected some light and warmth coming from his lover. He opened his eyes and pulled his mouth away to look down. Thor’s tattoos glowed in the night. The swirls reminiscent of flame now glowed like flame, too. Steve could feel their heat, as though the tattoos themselves reflected the torrent of flame Thor kept bottled within his body. 

“Wow,” Steve breathed. Thor rumbled in reply. Steve looked up at his face to see Thro grinning smugly. Steve swatted him on the obnoxiously muscled shoulder. “Take me to my room, you big lug.” 

“Gladly,” Thor chuckled lowly. He dragged a finger down Steve’s spine and Steve shivered. Thor kissed him again as he started moving. 

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Steve was glad that Peter’s aunt (as well as Peter himself) seemed to be asleep already. The fact that they would eventually see him ravished by Thor, along with the rest of Thor’s court, was present in his mind. That didn’t mean, however, that Steve wanted them to see Thor carrying him to his room like this immediately. It could wait. Perhaps he would even come to enjoy the feeling of being publicly taken by his alpha. 

_Gods, that’s something I never thought I would think_ , Steve thought. He threw his arms around Thor’s neck and kissed him again as Thor strode through his quarters. 

“You will drive me to distraction, little one,” Thor murmured against his lips. 

“Good,” Steve replied. “I want to distract you.” 

“I will not drop you, but hopefully you will not mind if I bump into something,” he said. 

“Just hurry up and find my room,” Steve said. 

“Ah, so you are impatient, my sweet,” Thor murmured. He smirked against Steve’s lips. “I, too, am eager to begin. I will show you how my body aches for yours.” 

With that, Thor’s pace quickened. He made long strides through the halls of the palace until Steve was pinned against the door to an apartment. Thor deftly reached down and pushed into the room. Steve didn’t even open his eyes as he kept kissing Thor until someone cleared their throat. Steve jumped and looked over his shoulder to see Bucky grinning as he watched them. 

“As much as I would enjoy witnessing the two of you pleasure each other this evening,” Bucky drawled. “Peter is sleeping and I haven’t told him of our ways in that regard.” 

“Be quick about it,” Thor said. “The new moon comes soon and I am sure your family would be thrilled to know that you have chosen to court an omega.” 

“Thrilled is a word for it,” Bucky replied drily. “Now begone with you before you rouse me more than you already have.” 

“Perhaps next time,” Thor chuckled as he backed out of the room. 

“Bed him well, Majesty,” Bucky replied with a wave. Steve felt his face heat even more than it had already.

“Which one is yours?” Thor asked. “I suppose Peter has taken over the first room you selected due to his heat.” 

Steve nodded as he pointed to the next room down the hall. “That one. Would he have really watched us?” 

“Of course,” Thor said. “Had Peter been awake, he may even have made his own pleasures, if Peter consented. Bucky has never been shy about what brings him pleasure and pursuing it when the opportunity presents itself.” 

“I think I’ve met the type,” Steve said. 

“He is a good man and he will treat your friend honorably,” Thor said. 

“He’d better,” Steve replied. He looked at Thor, who hadn’t moved yet. “What are you waiting for? My room is right over there.” 

“As you wish, my heart,” Thor said. “I did not expect you to be so… insistent when you felt aroused.”

Steve blushed. “Sorry.” 

“I did not say it bothered me. Quite the opposite,” Thor said. He strode towards the room Steve indicated and went inside. As soon as they were there, he reached up the bottom of Steve’s robe to press his fingers at Steve’s entrance. Steve moaned far more loudly than he expected to. “Your passion is my pleasure, and I intend to keep it burning for as long as possible.” 

“Fuck,” Steve breathed. 

Thor laid him out on the bed before he stripped Steve’s robes off. He tossed them to the floor and climbed over Steve’s body. He loomed over Steve. One hand gripped Steve’s hip and the other held him up. His wings were outstretched and seemed to span the entire room. This man, this dragon, looked at Steve as though nothing else existed in the world. As he looked down, Steve never felt smaller or safer in his life. 

Thor kissed his chest and Steve thought his heart skipped a beat. His mouth moved with tantalizing slowness to one of his nipples and Steve’s breath hitched. Thor’s mouth was hot. His teeth nipped at the delicate flesh as he suckled at Steve’s nipple. Steve didn’t even try to hold back. He had pleasured himself, sure, but never had he been able to make himself feel what Thor made him feel. 

“The sounds of your pleasure are captivating,” Thor purred. He latched onto Steve’s neck and began to suck there as well. Steve arched off the bed against Thor’s body as he moaned again. 

“Fuck,” Steve breathed. 

His heart was pounding in his chest as he instinctively turned his neck to give Thor more access. Every warning he’d ever had about letting alphas near his neck because they might mate him went flying out the window. This was right. This was Thor. Even if he did give Steve a mating bite, Steve would take it. Instead, he wrapped his arms back around Thor’s neck.

“You’re… you’re wearing too much clothing,” Steve gasped. Thor hummed in response but didn’t stop sucking on his neck. “Thor…” His voice sounded pathetically close to whining, but Steve didn’t care.

“In a moment,” Thor whispered. He nipped at Steve’s earlobe. “I want to know your body first.” 

“Shut up and take your clothes off,” Steve said. “I want to see you.” 

He tried to push Thor away, but it was like pushing at a brick building. He tried to take them off himself, but the wings were awkward and Steve had no idea how to get them through the holes in the back of Thor’s garment. Finally, Thor chuckled and knelt up over Steve before he took his clothes. He opened the front to expose his chest and bent his wings in before he deftly maneuvered them out of the shirt. The pants were much simpler and as soon as they were gone, Thor’s long, hard cock sprang free. 

Steve took in his lover’s naked form. His tattoos still glowed like hot coals. His muscles rippled with every movement Thor made. His cock dangled heavily between his legs, the long, thick shaft dripping with pre-come. He towered over Steve such that he seemed like a giant from Steve’s angle. The moon shone over him as though it was a halo of silver light as Steve was bathed in the fiery light of Thor’s tattoos. His wings stretched out as Thor took a wider posture to show off as much of himself as possible. His body radiated power and strength and his scent mirrored it. Every bone in Steve’s body told him to submit, that this alpha was strong and virile and would make him an excellent mate. 

“Do you see me now, little one?” Thor rumbled like thunder. “Does the sight of me please you?”

“Gods… yes, alpha,” Steve whimpered.

“I see you, as well,” Thor said. “And you can see that it pleases me.” 

Steve looked down again at the heavy shaft that hung between Thor’s legs. He had wondered for years why alphas seemed to be obsessed with how big they were and how omegas who were mated to them raved about how it felt. He had never understood. Now he did. 

Steve rolled over and arched his back in the presenting posture that came so naturally to him every time he was in heat. He looked over his shoulder at Thor. Thor knelt on the bed and pushed Steve further up it. Before Steve could demand why, though, he felt Thor press his face between the cheeks of Steve’s ass. Steve moaned as he felt Thor nip at his entrance. His beard rubbed at the sensitive flesh. Steve convulsed with pleasure. Thor’s hands gripped his hips tightly, his fingers digging into his flesh. Steve barely noticed the pain amidst the pleasure. 

Thor moaned against him. It was a deep, guttural sound and it sent shivers all the way up Steve’s spine. Steve gasped at the intense pleasure he felt, like something had bloomed in him, something that burned with an insatiable desire. He pushed back against Thor’s face to chase it, the pleasure that he had felt. Thor moaned against him and Steve cried out as he came just from that. 

“Your first of the evening, it would seem,” Thor said. Steve looked over his shoulder. Thor’s face glistened with his slick and Thor licked it up like a glutton. “Shall we see how many more you have to give tonight?” 

“Gods,” Steve breathed. His mind was a haze of pleasure and arousal. Though he had come, his cock was still hard and the ache to be filled still demanded satisfaction. “I need more, alpha.” 

Thor leaned forward and kissed him. Steve tasted himself on Thor’s tongue. It was the filthiest thing he had ever done, but somehow Thor just made him yearn for more of everything. 

“I will show you pleasure such that you have never known,” Thor murmured against his lips. “So that you know what you may come to expect of me and what is yours by right.” 

“Shut up and fuck me, you great, big lummox,” Steve laughed. Thor laughed as well and pressed a finger to Steve’s hole. It was thick, but Thor persisted and it breached the tight ring of Steve’s ass. 

He proceeded slowly. Steve breathed as he took the digit, which was already more than anything else he'd ever had inside him. Toys and such were never available among merchants by the time they reached his town. All he'd known were his own fingers. 

"Breathe, my love," Thor murmured. "Breathe deeply."

Steve obeyed. He drew in a long, slow breath and let it out just as slowly. He took several more such breaths. Each time, Thor pushed his finger further into him. Each time Thor pushed, Steve took another breath. After this rhythm had happened several times, Thor reached up with his other hand to stroke Steve's back along his spine.

"Good boy," Thor said. "You're doing such a good job."

"More, alpha. Please," Steve whined. 

"I know you want more," Thor said. "You must be patient. This cannot be rushed, especially considering how small you are and how large I am."

Steve nodded. He'd had enough conversations with young omegas that were soon to be wed about the importance of patience. He never thought that his own head would be so clouded by lust that he would forget, but here he was. Knowing didn't make it easier. He still ached inside. Slick dripped down his thighs as Thor pushed a second finger into him. 

Steve moaned and arched his back as his hole stretched around both fingers. Thor began to fuck him slowly, his fingers filling a space that Steve had never been able to satisfy. Still, Thor's fingers were still thicker than anything Steve had experienced and something about them made his body sing. His body thrummed as though it was an instrument in the hands of a master musician.

It almost came as a shock when Thor angled his fingers down and they stroked across Steve's prostate. Pleasure far more intense than before shot through him. Steve cried out. It almost seemed overwhelming. He pressed his face into the pillow and clutched the blankets as he wanted. All conscious thought had ceased. The only thing left was instinct. He made a sound that seemed halfway between a whine and a moan, too lost in the pleasure to care about what it might seem like.

"Such a good omega for me," Thor purred. 

He pushed a third finger into Steve's ass. Steve gasped as the fingers pressed against his prostate and he came a second time. HIs come burst out of him a she squeeze and convulsed from the pleasure. Thor just seemed to take it in stride. His other hand never stopped stroking along the length of Steve’s spine. 

“That makes two for you,” Thor said. “I wonder how many more I can win from you.” 

“Says the one who still hasn’t come,” Steve groaned. “How long can you last?” 

“I assure you that I will last more than long enough to bring you satisfaction,” Thor said. 

“I’m tired of waiting,” Steve whined. 

“Patience has never been my virtue, either,” Thor said with a chuckle. “But I am sure you know why it is necessary now.” 

Steve grumbled. He hated logic. That was new, but to be fair, he’d never been in this position where he was so incredibly turned on that it overruled his usually sound mind. The only thing on his mind was Thor’s cock, his knot, and what it would feel like to be finally filled. It was like he was in heat, except that he wasn’t nearly as feverish or sweaty or gross. 

All there was for him to do was to push back against Thor’s fingers and arch his back as he moaned in anticipation. Despite Thor’s insistence that he was not a patient person, he did not hurry at all. His fingers stretched Steve so slowly it nearly drove him mad. 

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Thor removed his fingers. Steve actually whined at the sudden loss. A second later, however, the bed shifted as Thor knelt behind him and pulled Steve’s cheeks apart in his massive hands. Steve looked over his shoulder to see Thor looming over him, his wings spread wide. He looked down at Steve with a ravenous look on his face. 

“Just remember to breathe,” he said in a near growl. Steve nodded and Thor began to push his cock into him. 

Steve hissed as his walls stretched around Thor’s cock. It didn’t hurt as much as he’d heard, but there was still a bit of pain as his body adjusted to Thor’s size. As big as he looked when Steve saw him, he felt absolutely massive inside of him. He took a deep breath and Thor ran his hands down Steve’s sides. 

“Good, just like that,” Thor murmured. “Keep breathing, love. I have you. I will take care of you.” 

“Yes, alpha,” Steve said. He took another deep breath as Thor continued to push into him slowly. His hands gripped Steve gently, but firmly between exploring his body. 

The strangest part, though, was that Steve didn’t feel nervous. He felt vulnerable and exposed and full and sweaty and… safe. There was not a bone in his body that didn’t feel totally safe with Thor above him. Instead, everything simply felt right with the world. He couldn’t remember the last time he had felt that. 

Eventually, Steve felt Thor’s hips meet his. Steve let out a long, shaky breath. He could feel Thor inside him. His cock was so deep inside Steve’s body. His body stretched around the thick cock. Steve felt so full he thought he might burst. Above him, Thor was draped over his body and breathing heavily. 

“You are still so tight around me,” Thor said. His voice was strained, as though he was holding himself back with tremendous force of will. “How is that so? You have taken all of me and yet you still feel so tight I might be dreaming.” 

“I think you’re just big,” Steve said. He was surprised to find that he felt out of breath. “Gods, what do they feed you in these mountains?” 

“I assure you, what I have is completely natural,” Thor said with a grin. “I was simply blessed, though I know not who to thank for it. How are you?” 

“Just… give me a moment,” Steve said. 

Thor lowered himself onto his elbows. It was enough that Steve could feel Thor’s weight on top of him, but not so that he would feel crushed by it. Steve tilted his head back against Thor’s shoulder. 

“Can we just… shift a bit?” Steve asked. 

“Of course,” Thor said. 

They shifted very carefully so they were on their sides. Thor held Steve’s body close and Steve rested his head on Thor’s shoulder. When he was ready, he nodded. Thor began to rock into him slowly and shallowly. Even then, Steve moaned as his thick shaft grazed over his prostate just as easily as it had when Thor was on top of him.

“Oh, fuck, yes,” Steve gasped. “Gods, don’t stop, please.” 

Thor just grunted. His thrusts became longer and deeper. Steve pressed his hand against his stomach and moaned when he realized he could feel Thor’s cock there, moving in him and thrusting so deep within him. 

“I can f-feel you,” Steve gasped. Thor replaced Steve’s hand with his own and growled when he felt it. 

“Can you feel it when I do this?” he growled. He pressed on Steve’s stomach lightly. Steve moaned and nodded. Thor stopped and growled. His tattoos glowed brighter than before and his thrusts grew longer and went deeper. “I do not know why, but that is amazing. Your body is amazing.” 

Steve only grinned and moaned at the feeling of Thor’s cock thrusting deep inside him. With each thrust, it grazed his prostate with perfect precision. Pleasure raced through his body with each touch Thor gave him and every thrust of his hips. For the third time that night, Steve could feel pleasure coiling in the pit of his stomach as his orgasm built. His moans turned to gasps and he couldn’t help but squeeze around the length of Thor’s member. Thor groaned and his thrusts grew faster. He grunted and moaned in Steve’s ear. 

“Knot me,” Steve begged. “Please, alpha, knot me. I wanna feel you.” 

“Gladly, omega mine,” Thor growled lowly. He rolled them over so that Steve was on his stomach again and fucked faster. Steve moaned and pushed himself into a presenting position. He clutched the sheets beneath him. Thor’s grip on his hips was rough. His fingers dug into is sides and hurt so good that Steve nearly saw stars. 

“Thor, I’m close,” Steve gasped. 

“Come for me, omega,” Thor grunted over him. “Now.” 

Steve tilted his head back and came with a cry. It seemed to last forever as Thor fucked him through it. His come erupted from his cock as though Thor himself was milking it from him. Thor didn’t stop even when Steve himself was completely spent. He kept fucking Steve and Steve’s cried out as the pleasure became overwhelming. His toes curled and he wrapped his legs around Thor’s hips. He could feel the knot catching on the rim of his hole as Thor’s grunts and groans became more erratic and desperate. 

Finally, just as the pleasure was going to become too much, as Steve’s mind was about to tip over the precipice of ecstasy into pain, Thor’s knot popped and come burst from his cock like a fountain. Thor lifted his head and released a short stream of fire as he roared with pleasure. His grip on Steve’s hips was bruising, but Steve couldn’t think about that through the fog of bliss. 

Knotted. He could feel Thor’s come coating his walls. Some primal part of him purred in satisfaction. He watched as the light in Thor’s tattoos died like the fire and Thor slumped over him. Thor propped himself up on an arm over Steve. 

“That was… just incredible,” Steve panted. “Like something out of a story.” 

“I am curious what manner of story you read where an omega was with a dragon,” Thor said. “Though I am pleased to know that I lived up to an ideal.” 

“There wasn’t a dragon, but there was a prince,” Steve said. “In the stories, the prince and his omega’s mating night is always thrilling and full of pleasure and leaves both parties completely sated.” 

“As pleased as I am that your first time shall be memorable, I do hope you are not _completely_ sated,” Thor said with a lustful purr. He bent to nuzzle Steve’s neck and Steve laughed as he pushed Thor away. 

“We’ll have to see,” Steve said. “Like you said, it’s my first time. My take a while to build stamina.” 

“An endeavor I am happy to assist with,” Thor said. 

By the time they settled for the night, Steve was spent. His limbs felt like jelly and his stomach felt like he was with child already. He looked down at the swell in his belly as Thor lay beside him, clearly proud of his own handiwork. 

“I think I want some of that contraceptive tea in the morning,” Steve said. 

“You will have it,” Thor said. “As much as you want.” 

“Thank you,” Steve yawned. He laid his head on Thor’s shoulder and looked up at him. “For everything.” 

“You are deserving of so much more,” Thor said. “But I am glad that I could give you pleasure.” 

“Stop talking like that,” Steve said. “I really can’t go another round.” 

Thor laughed. “As you wish, omega mine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos give me life, y'all!


End file.
